


Race You To The Bottom

by Nanners (nanjcsy)



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Contest Winner Story, Crossover Hell, Fantasy setting, Gen, How Do I Tag, Humor, I'm Sorry Tolkien, Luring, Magic, Magic Made Them Do It, Nannerverse, Unreliable Narrator, here be dragons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2018-09-16 15:30:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 41,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9278096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanjcsy/pseuds/Nanners
Summary: Malcolm has received another prize. A crossover of Lord of the Rings with Game of Thrones. I have specific characters and story-line to follow but I am gonna mess things up as always.Everyone aboard the speeding, groaning, bellowing crazy train? Okay, here we go, don't mind that missing track up ahead, I am sure it's fine.......





	1. A Dear Jon Letter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MalcolmXavier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalcolmXavier/gifts).



_Dear Jon,_

_I hope that the Wall is treating you well. I can't tell you how much I miss you and wish that I was back there with you. I know what you will say. How can I say that considering the cold, the cruel teachers and the bullies at the orphanage but this is really worse._

_When we graduated I really expected to be given a teacher's position within the school. Remember how I dreamed we would be given teachers positions and would get to really stick it in old Alister's craw! We would have tea right there staring him in the face!_

_But no, I got sent as a tutor for the lower grades down here in Winterfell, your old home. I can see why you didn't care when your dad died and your step monster sent you to the Wall. It is so cold here, it's got bigger fires, hot springs and the winds are a bit more mild but the people are so very cold!!!_

_And I tell you, you may sneer and complain, oh yes, I can just hear you now. There you are in the deep North, having to follow around a half deaf old professor pretending all the work he gets credit for isn't yours._

_But I am dealing with steel eyed proud parents that want me to teach their hellions. These children want to play, to fight and hear stories of creatures and fantasy not learn figures and script! They are pranksters and I cannot tell you how many of their stupid tricks I have fallen prey to._

_Your own half sister Arya gives me stomach aches with anxiety! She has a quick mind but no patience. Always having an excuse for why her homework is never completed. Always wearing that sword on her belt, even during class! Messy hair, messy clothing, always with a smart ass excuse upon her lips for anyone._

_Lyanna Mormont is no better. I think she and Arya feed off each other, really. She does pass her homework in and get all good grades but the child is always busy during class challenging others! And she too seems to enjoy her pranking._

_Then there is Shireen Baratheon. Ah, such a sweet girl with a brilliant mind! If only the others would leave her be to get her work done! I would find a college to take her if I could! Her parents are disgusting the way they treat her. Luckily in class, your own sister and Lyanna protect the poor girl from the worst of the bullies. The poor thing's rash has halted but covers one half of her face._

_Tommen Baratheon doesn't defend his cousin anymore than he would defend himself. He is a weak boy with a weak mind and constitution. I worry for him, actually. Such a powerful family and they pull his mind like putty. Nothing left in it for learning really._

_These are the only students really worth any ink to write about as they are always keeping themselves in my sight for good or bad reasons._

_Now these kids are up to something, I can feel it in my bones and it isn't good! They keep whispering and passing notes during class more than usual. During recess, they are not playing with the others or anything._

_I confiscated a map and a strange looking ring from them the other day and locked it in my desk drawer. They won't admit who it belongs to or why they were fighting over it, so there it stays for now. I am really trying to be firm._

_Write to me soon, Jon. This is place is cold and lonely. I am actually starting to talk to the children as they are the only ones who actually respond when I speak without just glaring down their noses at me._

_Yours truly,_

_Samwell Tarly_


	2. A Most Dedicated Teacher

_Dear Jon,_

_I am very sorry to hear of your troubles with the Wildling riots. What a shitty thing to have happen all around an orphanage! The stories of walking dead folks I can do without though. I mean, I believe you, strange things are happening everywhere since that damned orange eye has appeared over the mountains of you-know-where._

_Thank goodness, you spent so many years on all those military clubs that Alister used to beat you down with! I am sure you are between thrilled and disgusted to find yourself working directly under him again during the crisis._

_We hear that hunters have seen trees walking around in the forests. Fishermen claim to see goblins or orcs. Far away villages that suddenly seem to be empty, blood everywhere but no bodies. I hear there are dragons waking up out West that grow larger than cities and can breathe fire. And I believe all these tales._

_Because I seem to be having a rather terrifying and elaborate fantasy all of my own. That I wish to my heart not to believe at all and yet, logic demands that I must. I don't even know really where to start except that it is all the fault of your damned little sister! Oh yes! That ring and map she had stolen or found, I care not which, it is cursed!_

_This man came. No. Wait. A man? No, I cannot call it really a man, nor can I call his dogs real canines nor was his pet something I could call human. I am babbling, I can already tell your confusion. Forgive me, I am still rattled, Jon. You have no idea. Let me take a sip of that whiskey you sent to me with your last letter._

_There. I am ready to try again. And yes, that is how rattled I am, friend._

_I have never opened that bottle until last week. Since then I will have you know I am turning into a proper alcoholic. I have had since last week four full tablespoons worth of the bottle! Anyway, I have managed to at least keep from drinking during class time which is a feat all of its own these days._

_Let me start again._

_So increasingly, your sister and her group have become desperate to retrieve the ring and map from me. I told them when I saw improvements in behavior I would return the items. They did not like that. I found them trying to break into my classroom and desk continually._

_Jon, I just cannot negotiate with these demons, I must be firm. So I took the items home and hid them there._

_This should have ended it and I felt satisfaction at my cleverness. I went to get a drink and some chicken pie at the local inn to celebrate myself. Well, pride often goes before a fall and with my weight, I can fall quite the far way down._

_I was on my way back home when the most dreadful smell hit me. I instantly vomited all of my dinner and heard the most loathsome voice._

_"He knows....he is sneaky looking, Master. He knows. He knows the sneaky girl thief, Master."_

_I looked about and saw a dirty, wretched pale thin thing clutching a rock, half skulking in the shadows of the roadside. Then something bigger moved and came into the moonlit road. It was a man shaped beast, it really felt like it was some kind of troll wearing a man costume._

_He had a smile that was hungry as if he could already taste me and I tasted good! It was terrible and I nearly shit myself!_

_The man was dressed in pink scaled armor with spikes everywhere driven in. Eyes that looked like dirty ice glared at me and when he spoke it was far too intimate and threatening for all it's softness._

_"Do you know Arya Stark?"_

_Well, I certainly wasn't about to give a little girl's information to this creature but I was terrified to say to bugger off as well. In the large fist of this man he held several chains that led to the thick collars upon the thicker necks of hounds._

_They had black spiky fur that somehow seemed metallic and the eyes all seemed to glow red. It seemed like a bad idea to inquire where one purchased or bred such dogs but I was given pause by this._

_Suddenly, I found myself backing away after I told the man that no, I did not know any Arya Stark._

_He seemed to grow larger when I lied and he released his grip upon the dog chains. The repulsive crawling, half human creature joined the dogs in slowly stalking me. It's smell was almost worse than the threat of being ripped apart by demonic beasts._

_"I do not like being lied to. And I can always tell a lie. Always. Do you see my Reek there? He used to be a handsome prince that liked to lie with every breath he took. He does not lie anymore. I could always tell and you are lying to me now. I can use your flesh to feed my dogs and my pet for quite some time. Or you can try one more time. Do you know Arya Stark?"_

_I am a coward, Jon. You know that and I nodded. I told him that I did indeed know Arya Stark. But that her grandfather had passed away and her family has traveled to the Riverlands to pay their respects. Which is true enough that the man accepted it._

_"I am Ramsay Bolton. Son of Roose Bolton. Arya has something of his and he would greatly enjoy receiving it back. Make sure anyone who know Arya Stark knows this message. If anyone has any information regarding this girl or anything she has stolen there will be a reward."_

_He left with his creatures in a manner too fast for normal human speed, Jon. Only the stench of his pet prince remained. How that stinky, ruined looking grey thing could have been handsome ever was baffling._

_I ran home as soon as I could stop shaking enough. I just knew that ring and map were what Arya had stolen. That these creatures wanted. And fool that I am, I had hidden them in my very home! When I got to my house it was dark as I had left it but I never left my kitchen windows open._

_I crept towards my home like I was the criminal seeking entrance. But I was wary of what new creatures might already be in my house! Getting my gumption up, I grabbed a garden hoe and charged into my little cottage, roaring like a deranged lunatic._

_It was with relief and anger that I saw Arya and her little crew. They had been searching my stuff for the map and ring, of course. It was with trepidation and disbelief that I saw a strange cloaked man that was even bigger than Ramsay watching us all from my favorite corner chair!_

_His name was Sandor and told me that we were all in great danger. I called him Captain Obvious and then explained what I had already encountered thanks to these brats._

_I was ready to call the parents, Jon. I have a limit after all. However, the sudden howling and barking of Ramsay's dogs ended that idea._

_I found myself scrambling for the ring and map while the kids grabbed whatever supplies they could from my pantry. We ended up following Sandor out of my back door and across several fields, into the woods._

_He helped us hide up in an old hunting blind and explained that we needed to hurry out of the area. That he could guide us past the hills and to the nearest city where the council could give us more assistance._

_I had no idea what the hell they were talking about! All I understood was that this map and ring must not fall into the wrong hands. That Arya must wear it and carry it only._

_That we must help her keep the ring safe until it was given to someone qualified to deal with the thing. Fine. Good enough. I wanted nothing to do with that ring._

_It was too...shiny...too...pretty...too...everything I have ever wanted. Until it was around her neck, then I no longer wanted it. I agree, we need to get rid of this ring._

_I need to go but I have left this letter with a traveling barkeep returning from vacation. He said he would post this for me at his next stop. I hope it reaches you in good health. I promise to keep your sister safe as much as I can._

_I will write again as soon as I can. Arya is aware I am writing you and she said she will post a letter to you very soon. Don't hold your breath, Jon. She is scatterbrained about everything but this damned cursed ring!_

_Yours truly,_

_Samwell Tarly_


	3. A Lovely Letter To Mother

Dearest Mother,

I hope my letter reaches you soon and you will no longer worry for me. I am perfectly safe and fine. A little dirtier than usual, perhaps a bit more ragged and a little hungry and sore. But that is fine, I have never had such an adventure before.

It is as if I am on the best field trip ever but Professor Tarly would never be this fun on purpose.

Sandor the Hound is our guide and our protector on our journey. You will be happy to know that we are on our way to Kings Landing now. We need to come to the council. You are on the council so I can say hi to you! I can't go home though or back to school until this ring thing is handled.

Sandor says we are all touched by it now and we must stay with Arya. We must help her bring this shiny ring to the council so the adults can figure out what to do with it.

I know you say I shouldn't go with strangers or listen to anyone but my teachers and my mother but this was an emergency. Some really terrible things seem to be coming for us. Bad things happen to those near this ring and we are really really close to the ring!

I have slept in some flea ridden hay beds in terrible bars and one night we even slept in a swamp. I have slept on rocks and dirt and under a rotted log so far. Sandor makes us walk and climb until we are so tired we are in tears.

If we complain of hunger he throws apples at us and grumbles that we are weak.

That if the things chasing us catch up we are all dead and the world is over as we know it. So I stopped complaining so loudly and guess what? Sandor has a lovely voice and sings us to sleep when it is all quiet.

I am starting to like knowing I am doing something important. That my suffering is to help others. It feels good to have a purpose, Mother.

And guess what? They are trusting me, being friendly for real, for the first time. Lyanna has shown me how to use my short sword that grandfather packed for me. The one that you said never to touch, I know. But Lyanna showed me how to use it and not hurt myself.

Then Arya came over with her sword, her Needle. We all practiced and I daresay we are going to be good enough warriors to get this ring where it needs to be. Sandor laughs at us but he does teach us in between his teasing.

He is worried that we might need to fight, to defend ourselves and he seems to pray a lot for that to never happen. Even Shireen practices with a dagger. She mainly reads books though, she is really, really smart.

Sandor said Shireen's brains are just as sharp and deadly as a sword can be. That we will be happy for her mind someday.

I tried to read one of her books but it gave me a headache. Shireen got a bit mad at me, she pursed her lips but I apologized. I know you think that means I am weak but it worked. She smiled and forgave me enough to share her dinner with me.  

Mother, I have to go, it's time for me to start walking again. But I really wanted to say this one thing to you. The ring is so very dangerous. There is a terrible shine to it and it makes anyone who sees it really want it in a terrible way.

Please do not allow Joff to come to the council meeting. If he sees that ring it could be very bad, Mother. You shouldn't even look too closely at it. No one should. It needs to be destroyed. Someone like Arya, who can wear it without becoming all strange and crazy that can destroy it.

I hope you and the council know someone that can do that. I hope we get there soon. Tonight we are going to make it to the huge rock mountain only miles from Kings Landing.

I am leaving this letter with this bar we have stopped at for supplies. Maybe we might reach you at the same time as this letter! We only have to get through tonight and we shall get rid of this horrid ring. Even though I will miss the adventure.

See you very soon, Mother,

Love,

Tommen


	4. The Close Bond Of Siblings

_Dear Jon,_

_I have no idea what Professor Tarly is writing to you all the time but I can tell you it's probably wrong! I am not all that bad, really! He has told me of your troubles and even in the small taverns we see there are tales of it._

_Ice spiders, giants, cannibals and dead men sound awful exciting and nightmarish all at once! I wish I were with you though._

_Remember back when mother first sent you away, right after dad died? It was just before dad died that all of this started. I should have told you of my fears then. Before you left and now we may never see each other again._

_At least we have this. At least I hope you recieve this letter. As it is, I am writing it while laying on a cold rock in the windy night._

_Sandor has left us to scout the area. This will hopefully be our last night camping outside before reaching Kings Landing. Then our adventure should end and someone else will start their adventure instead._

_But I wanted you to hear my side, our family was involved in this ring before it became my problem._

_Do you remember when father took Sansa on that trip to Kings Landing? He took Theon with him and Jory. Sansa stayed to become Joff's fiance and Cersei's slave and then Father came home. Do you remember how grim they were when they returned?_

_Recall how crazy mother went when father said he chose NOT to work for Robert, after all? All that fighting he did with my mother over that damned job and he just changes his mind. Didn't you think that was strange? We all did, but we all said nothing._

_Then Roose Bolton starts to slither around our father and Theon. Remember that, how we all teased about Roose being some sort of a Leech Lord? We had no idea!!!_

_Remember how all of a sudden father just became so erratic! He was harsher to everyone, always locked in his office? Roose was sniffing around and then bam, father up and dies._

_You were carted off right then and there, but it got crazier after you left! Be glad you left because otherwise you might be dead or maimed!_

_All of a sudden Rob just went off his rocker! He broke his engagement with the Frey girl with no reason at all. Then started seeing this foreign girl who got pregnant and he just eloped with her! They were always locked in their bedroom and it drove mom to drink. I mean really drink!_

_No one was watching Bran and for no reason he climbed a tower and fell off. He doesn't remember why and his legs don't work anymore. He rolls in a chair all day muttering to himself. Theon went missing one day and Robb went crazy over it._

_He kept screaming that Theon won't get away with stealing his property. Robb's wife kept crying and screaming at Robb to get whatever it was back. Theon was never found though and he never came back._

_We heard sightings of him crawling into the moors, the caves and then nothing. Tales of a stinking man slinking through swamps eating raw fish came back to us and we looked at each other, denying it. But we all knew, Jon._

_It was this ring. Father brought it home and it killed him! Robb took the ring and it drove him and his wife crazed! He died next by the way because of the ring. Walder Frey couldn't stand the insult to his jilted daughter and murdered both of them._

_I don't care that no one can prove it, we all know it._

_That drove mother out of her freaking skull and shock treatments didn't help much, neither did detox. After Bran lost the use of his legs, mother went on a little hospital trip._

_Her friend Petyr came to stay with us rather than have us go to crazy Aunt Lysa. Talk about creepy! He searched the house and questioned us all about the ring but we gave him nothing._

_Mother came back and Petyr stayed with her for a little bit. However, he was engaged to Aunt Lysa so it was kind of awkward. He left and not a month later, Rickon went missing. A rumor was started that he was eaten by this "Reek" creature._

_I started a sort of club with Shireen, Lyanna and Tommen. We discussed the ring and the deaths surrounding it. We developed ideas and theories but nothing more._

_Then I was in the moors, I was only playing around and I smelt the worst thing ever. And then I saw him, he didn't see me though. It was a terribly thin version of Theon. All pale with more slime than skin upon his body. He wore a thick collar about his neck as if he were a feral but owned creature._

_He was singing a ditty to himself and beating a small snake to death for his dinner. The ring popped out of his pocket and just sank down. I had no thought, there wasn't a single though to it at all, Jon. I had to get the ring. There was no urge to do anything else, it was a pull that hurt into my soul._

_It was a thirst that wasn't quenchable, an itch I couldn't ever scratch, a song that I needed to hear and could barely make out the tune. I had to dive in swiftly and I scooped up the ring. Then I ran and ran. I heard the screech when Theon discovered it was missing. He didn't find me or try to, or so I thought._

_I ransacked father's study and found a map. I think it leads me to where the ring came from. Or where it needs to go. I need to leave that to this council, to someone who can keep the ring safe until it can be destroyed._

_Everyone who sees it, touches it, they suddenly become greedy, horrid monsters. I am haunted and pulled by it but I do not turn strange, at least not as quickly as others do._

_I have no idea why. I have so many questions myself._

_All I know is Roose began sniffing about the house so I brought the damned ring to school. Your stupid teacher friend stole it from me. Next thing we know, Ramsay and his dogs, along with Reek are bothering the professor._

_But they proceeded to visit our house right after. Mother had just returned from grandfather's services._

_I was over my friend Lyanna's house when it all happened. We were all practicing our swordplay. I got home to find my mother dead, Bran and Rickon gone. Everyone else, every servant was flayed alive or eaten by dogs._

_I had no time to grieve as my friends were with me. We were going to ask mother if I could have a sleep over and now Shireen was ready to faint. Lyanna finally had a reason to pull out her sword and I grabbed my own. Suddenly, this huge shadow appeared and scared me half to death._

_Told us his name was Sandor and he was tracking the ring as well. He didn't want to touch it, he wanted to guide me to safety with the ring on my chain. So we ran to Professor Tarly's house to get the ring back and well, you know the rest from your teacher buddy, right?_

_It hangs on my neck now and feels heavy, it feels light and I can't even describe how terrible it can be. It shows me things, whispers things but I don't react to it. At least not that I can tell so far. I think my job is to get this ring to the council so they can find someone to destroy it._

_My friends and your teacher just have to come as well. They also don't have as fast of a reaction to the ring. I am glad they are with me, I need friends. It is very lonely carrying this ring. I feel as if-_

_Sorry about that abrupt stop. I had to stop a small argument with Shireen and Tommen. The boy is really sweet but stupid and Shireen is determined to fight with him over his trouble with understanding certain words and concepts._

_Sandor was firm that we were to stay quiet and stay very low. I had to stop them before Sandor could hear them down in the woods and come up to squash them._

_He is so large that I think he might be half giant. I do hope you don't have to kill any of his half relatives over at the Wall. That would be very awkward. Tomorrow I will deliver this ring to the council and then return home._

_I am not looking forward to seeing the council at all. Old crone Tyrell, Cersei the Queen Bitch, Crazy Aunt Lysa, Fishy Old Balon Greyjoy and who knows who else? I don't see how any of them will find someone to destroy the ring properly. They are all greedy and might be tempted by the ring. Or by Roose Bolton himself!_

_It isn't my problem, I know that, don't bother muttering it. I know that. I will do my part and go home to whatever home is now. All I know is if anyone tells me I have to live with crazy Aunt Lysa after this, I will run away!_

_No way am I staying with her and her six year old breastfeeding kid! I won't stay with Sansa in Kings Landing either. Maybe I can talk Lyanna's mother into letting me stay there? Anyway, I love you and hope that you ca-_

 

**Arya's pen broke in her hand as she heard the unnerving sound of a hunting hound that found its prey.**

**It was joined by several others and if Arya had hackles her would have raised. Saliva filled her mouth and adrenaline ran through her veins so hard it caused her to groan in pain.**

**Standing up fast, Arya drew out her Needle as the others surrounded her. Uneasily, the three of them watched helplessly as the nightmarish dogs began to appear on the rocks.**

**Arya could hear Tommen's uneven heavy breathing, Shireen's chanting of something in a language that made Arya feel queasy. And Lyanna was growling like a small bear, crouched and ready to fight the hellish hounds. Even the shaking Professor was wielding a dagger that Sandor had given him with much menace but no force.**

**Then the smell hit them and they all gagged as a small grey head popped up over the rocks.**

**"Oh, bad little thieves! Such rotten bad children! Oh, so mean, so mean, little thief! Give it back to me! It's ours! It isn't yours, you little brat! Master, she is here! Master, the ring, she has it, Reek knows! Such a bad girl, no supper, a spanking, a beating, a sound reasonable death for thieves like her, Master!"**

**The ugly slimy flesh covered skeleton seemed to crawl, bend, bow and leap all about Ramsay as he appeared.**

**The moon seemed to catch his knife and Ramsay's grin, flashing them both dangerously. He spread his arms wide and let his blade dance over thick but graceful fingers. His chuckle was rich and friendly. It was poisoned dessert.**

**"Ah, there you are! Too bad your burned guardian is missing. Well, I will be sporting of course! So. You choose. Easy or hard. Let me explain so you cannot claim later that I was not fair in my games! Now. If you choose easy, the thief hands me the ring and you will all recieve a very quick death. If you choose hard, I will allow my hounds to hunt you and rip you to shreds while I search each of you evil little girls until I find the ring. Then I will flay that particular girl alive. So. Easy? Or hard?"**


	5. Never Be The Same

**Samwell fully believed it was in that moment and forever more he was firm upon this.**

**He told it to Jon, to so many others and in his journals, he fully believed this was the moment that everything changed. That this was the defining moment of how much influence the ring had over everyone.**

**Because this is the very moment that Samwell believes that they were all driven mad.**

**The Ramsay and Reek creatures so close to the ring at the same as Arya, perhaps.**

**He doesn't know, magic is not his main knowledge base. What he does know is that upon the creatures appearing something changed. Something came from the air, from the ground, the rocks, the very creatures they were challenged by.**

**Not a word was spoken between any of them but they were all suddenly in one mind. They all saw the same images, felt the same emotions and were equally all driven insane. There was no other excuse for what happened and Samewell would forever be firm upon that fact.**

**"It wasn't bravery! It wasn't bluster or a panicked move, I tell you! This was a full change of everyone's behavior that none of us were surprised by. It was as if we all felt the same thud and everything that should be wrong is right and we just went with it! And from that moment onward, it was never the same for any of us. We knew that Arya must not lost the ring and it was our duty to see to that. It was just known. Too bad Arya never was one to follow directions, even hive mind ones."**

**Samwell has been many things in his life but a courageous man is not one of them. He is a rather pale heavyset man with fluttering hands and a mind stronger than an anvil.**

**But in spite of being armed with no more than a large stick of fire, Samwell stood in front of the children to shield them from the creatures. He let out a great roar as if he were a bear and waved his stick back and forth.**

**Lyanna leaped forward, her thick braids whipping at Samwell's hands as she stood next to him. She was making guttural loud sounds as if barking back at the hounds. To Samwell's fascination he looked and confirmed that was exactly what she was doing.**

**Tommen and Shireen tried to come forward also yelling, brandishing their weapons awkwardly in their hands. Ramsay looked at them all and began to laugh.**

**"Are you going to scream us to death? Is that your grand plan? None of you even know how to use the puny weapons you carry. Come now, don't prolong it for any of us. Give me the ring, whichever of you little thieves has it and we can end this fast. This is more pitiful than the sight of my pet Reek."**

**As if planned though Samwell could confirm there was no plan, all of the kids spoke at once.**

**"I will never give this ring to you. You will have to kill me for it."**

**Ramsay scanned all of the children with icy eyes and shrugged too calmly.**

**"Very well, we shall kill all of you then take the ring. The order of how I take the ring and kill you doesn't matter anyway."**

**The dogs leaped as one and the kids and Samwell all fell back before rushing forward screaming in terror and adrenaline towards a certain death.**

**Except it turns out burning a dog's face is effective in holding it's slathering jaws back a bit. Samwell had a circle fire dance with a hound that had eyes that will haunt his nightmares until he dies.**

**Lyanna did not bite the hound that attacked her after all but she did manage to stab it. When its teeth came ready to bite through her chest, she was ready. Her short sword went through it's mouth and out the other side.**

**Then Lyanna suddenly felt so cold and her sword seemed to explode and she was down on the rocks. Writhing, she held her numb arm and gasped for air.**

**Shireen found herself in the absurd position of beating the stinking Reek with a large book. Tommen was trying to defend Arya but the girl jumped over him to rush at Ramsay. All saw this and screamed for her to run away, not towards the monster but as always she had her way.**

**Arya met Ramsay upon the center of the rocks and she lunged with all her might. He moved too fast for her to see and was circling her. Laughing, he breathed a sickening rotted meat smell upon her neck before shoving her hard into the rocks.**

**She smacked her face and tasted her own blood. As he jerked her back up by her collar, Arya managed to cut him. With a growl, Ramsay pulled her against him and his blade shone bright in the moonlight before it struck.**

**The others heard Arya scream as Ramsay flayed a small piece from her shoulder almost playfully.**

**Then as if an avenging angel, Sandor appeared, a large sword wielding warrior and Samwell wept in relief. Sandor went straight for Ramsay who tossed Arya aside with a little whisper.**

**"See you real soon on the other side, little girl."**

**Arya had no idea what that meant but she couldn't concentrate on the riddle of it right now.**

**To say she was in pain wasn't even near enough of a statement. She wasn't just flayed in her skin, it somehow was worming it's way into her soul and she could feel it. The hot pain turned cold, but it was a razor sharp cold.**

**It was leeching the very color from the world, it was leeching thought away. It was stealing her emotions and her very will to exist. However at the same time, there was a new thing, a hunger, a need and it was choking, killing her.**

**Samwell tried to guard and tend to the injured girls while Tommen helped Shireen fend off the stinking creature. The remaining hounds all rushed Sandor. He beheaded them all but one. That dog had it's head crushed into the stones and that is when Ramsay rushed at Sandor.**

**When they crossed swords it was so violent that sparks flew and they moved faster than Samwell's shocked eyes could even follow. Sandor and Ramsay seemed quite evenly matched for a few worrisome moments then Sandor kicked Ramsay into the fire.**

**The man demon's cloak and hair went up in flames and he squealed in agony as he pinwheeled away to the dark.**

**Reek screeched and fought until Shireen and Tommen released him. Hissing at Sandor, the creature ran off in a different direction than his Master. Sandor spit in disgust and started to go after it until he looked over at Arya.**

**She was nearly marbled with blue veins and her skin was greying. Her eyes were bloodshot and somehow Arya seemed to be fading away.  Sandor growled but let the creature run off. He needed to save this girl but he wasn't sure if he even could.  
**

**"I need to grab some roots that might stall this until we get her to Kings Landing. She was cut by a very cursed blade. It's killing her and turning her. Arya will belong to the ring's Master before much longer."**

**Lyanna lay pale and sweating against a rock near Arya.**

**"You will need to be treated as well. That was not an ordinary hound and that arm will not heal with normal methods. Both of you can be healed at Kings Landing. Just stay here and stay quiet until I return this time!"**

**Sandor grumbled curses to himself as he cut small roots and flowers. It would not be long before Ramsay returned or sent others for them. They are wounded and Ramsay will make sure the others know it.**

**He needs to hurry and has a terrible feeling that Arya won't survive the length of time needed to travel to Kings Landing. Consumed by  troublesome thoughts Sandor never heard the other approach. Not until the blade was laying against his throat.  
**


	6. Lovely Nightmare

_I am dying. No, that isn't right. I am changing. It hurts, it burns, it freezes and it's killing parts of me. I want all my parts, not just some of them. Not just the parts HE wants._

Who HE was, Arya had no idea, but she just knew HE was sending them for her. To claim the ring mostly, but to bring her HOME and she didn't know where that was. She just knew it was terrible and lovely and there was a nameless longing that made her sick with shame. 

Everything came in and out. She saw her friends and her teacher in blurs and smears that ran away like colors dripping in raindrops. Her breathing was raspy, Arya could hear it but she didn't feel it.

She wasn't feeling much but burning, freezing, changing, parts stripping away. Breathing must be one of those parts and it wasn't very important anyway. A low grumble voice and Arya knew it was Sandor. She forced her eyes open and saw a golden thing, like an angel.

Not a graceful, pretty floating white thing either. No, it was an avenging warrior angel with a large sword instead of wings. Golden armor and almost as large as Sandor. Not much prettier than him either, but her blue eyes made Arya feel safer somehow.

"I have to take her now, Sandor. I am the faster rider. Carry the injured girl on your back and get the others there as quick as you can. I am going to take the river, let them chase me if they want to."

"Yeah, that makes me feel better about letting you take her! Knowing that you don't mind letting the wraiths have a test of speed with you! I am the better fighter!"

"So you think! But we do both know I am the faster rider and I promise, I swear to you they won't have her. I can keep the wraiths off her and get her to Kings Landing. If she doesn't see a maester soon then they will own her and there is nothing anyone can do!"

"Fine! Go!"

_Oh, goodie, I am going for a ride._

Arya wanted to laugh for no reason at all but her vocal chords didn't seem to work right. This warrior angel threw Arya onto the back of horse like a sack of potatoes and tied her there. Then hauled herself to sit behind Arya and they started to fly.

She watched trees stream by and then everything started to get red and fuzzy. Arya heard the woman's voice but it made no real sense.

Another voice was there now. It was a male voice, it was and wasn't HIM somehow and it was so confusing. But that voice was meant to be heard so she listened anyway. No real words came through but the message was still clear enough.

Arya found a yearning, a desire, dark and intense. She wanted to rip this woman's throat out and taste the meat like a fancy candy. The thought made her gag but it made her feverish at the same time.

And Arya wanted to throw herself off the horse so her brethren, her dark family can guide her home. The ring pulsed and Arya was in agony. It didn't want to go with the wraiths. It wanted a new host that wasn't spoiling the game so fast.

She heard the woman yell at her to just hang on, that she will keep her safe and get her the help she needs. Arya noticed the presence of the others, of her brother and his hell hounds.

That makes no sense.

_I am Arya Stark. I have brothers, yes, but not with hell hounds. They are Rob, Jason, Ramsay and one other. What, what? I know that isn't right, not at all. Not important, oh god, it hurts! The ring, my own mind and HE are going to rip me apart!_

Her head leaned over and she numbly watched Ramsay and his hell hounds, chasing after them. A flash of anger and Arya remembered this was the creature that did this to her. She refused to call that thing brother!

If only she had the energy or the use of her vocal chords but Arya managed a good glare. The beast saw it and laughed, driving his boots cruelly into a half rotted black horse. Now as she was turning, she was able to see things as they are.

The ring was suffocating her neck and she ripped it off. It was in her hand and it wanted to slip away, she could feel it. Arya put it on her finger and at the same time the angel rode the horse into the river crossing.

Arya saw the bloated rotten thing that was called Ramsay. Arya watched the skinless dogs running into the water and moaned. The only mercy was that other creature wasn't there as well to be seen.

To her surprise there was another, trying to stagger and keep up with Ramsay's horse. Strangely enough, it was not Reek but Theon wearing a hideous tight crown that dug thorns into his forehead.

The angel began to chant something, calmly then loudly with more authority as they crossed over the water. It made Arya feel blessed and cursed, she squirmed in pain. The water began to rise and Arya watched in amazement as it formed into large wolves, lions and stags that attacked the skinless dogs.

It crashed down and she heard yelps of the hellish beasts. She saw a large water warrior form and land on the horrid Ramsay thing like a tsunami. When he roared in agony, Arya somehow felt it and mirrored it.

Her scream was soundless and that is when she felt the redness truly sucking her in. The ring screamed and the woman was leaning over her, saying some sort of a prayer but she was drowning.

Arya tried to claw her way out of the red tide that was sucking her under. Then she saw things, all in flashes, all of it seared forever into her brain. Pictures to taunt her late in the night as she tries to sleep. Images to suck hope away from her on bad days.

The worst horror of it all was that Arya knew when this change was finished, she won't care about the horrors she has seen. Because she would be one of the creatures causing the terrors.


	7. Quality Healing

Arya swam through leeches, fat and slick that hungered for her blood, damaged as it was. She felt it, felt them not just latch on but sink deep into her. Coughing, they were in her throat, in her lungs, everywhere, it hurt, it froze, it felt wonderful.

That soft measured voice lured her down, urged Arya to give in to it. She was tired, so heavy and tired and weak. Why not listen a little harder to the voice and slip into the compelling numbness?

And then there was a new voice. It was sugar, it was acid, it was seductive and it hurt Arya's ears at first. It hurt because it pulled her away from the numbing lull. Arya couldn't scream and she couldn't move under her own control at all.

It was like feeling her soul ripped in two as both voices fought to dominate her. To compel her.

"Come now, little dove. This is not a good place for you to be, love. Come, follow my voice, your friends are very worried. Your champion is worried and my son is most concerned for you. Time to cast off these grim dreams, it's time to follow to a safe place. You do not wish to be owned by the Leech Lord. Do not forget the ring, my darling girl. He wants it very badly, you must wake up before he makes you surrender it and yourself to him. My voice, follow it. There you go, keep trying, I can feel you trying. Good girl. Look how strong you are, oh if I had been raised in a different place, I imagine I would be as strong as you are right now. That is good, yes, cast him off, yes. And now...just sleep, rest, little dove and I will make sure that you are safe."

Defiant as ever, Arya forced herself to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt as if they had weights attached to them. Everything she saw was blurry and she gasped at the sight before her.

An impossibly tall, impossibly beautiful woman stood over her.

Skin so pale that it was nearly translucent, eyes like brilliant gems, a smirk upon carved lips. Hair the color of spun gold that hung like a silk blanket down towards the floor. A perfect figure encased in a lovely sparkling dress that gently swayed against the marble floor. 

Arya shook her head and made a laughing groaning sound. Oh gods, this woman was so perfect, so achingly perfect it was almost a mockery of the very meaning of beauty. The room around her was glowing white and gold with bursts of startling green as ivy curled around the pillars and walls. 

"Oh, are you ever the stubborn one. Sleep, little dove, you are safe. I am Cersei Lannister and you have my word that you are safe here in Kings Landing. Now rest and when you wake up your friends will all be here to greet you."

Arya wanted to stay awake but her eyes were so heavy and she fell away.

 

The next time Arya woke, her room was sun drenched. She squinted in the bright light and tried to sit up. For the first time, Arya felt the true damage done to her by the demon's weapon. It wasn't only a very tender wound, it was sinking an intense ache throughout her whole body.

As if her bones were cracked, Arya carefully fully sat against the headboard. Sweat and whimpering, tears filing her eyes, Arya hoped this terrible ache will fade with her injury. There was something worse however.

It was as if when the demon made contact, it left something inside of her. Deep down and it felt disgusting, it felt filthy and shameful, but it also felt good and hungry. As if truly there were a leech burrowing deep inside of her tenderest meat, slowly trying to devour all the good juicy parts to her.

A door opened and Arya grinned, ignoring how she felt, forgetting her fears in the joy of familiar faces. Arya laughed as Tommen, Shireen and Lyanna all jumped upon the ridiculously large bed she was buried in.

Samwell Tarly waddled in with such worry on his face that Arya felt guilty for getting hurt. He hugged and lectured her at the same time. Sandor entered with the woman who had saved Arya with the water magic! The two of them were in a very soft and intense argument.

"I..I need to thank you! You saved my life! Thank you so much, you are amazing by the way! I have never before seen real magic, only the magician shows that Shireen put on for us till her asshole father and crazy mother stopped it!"

"My name is Brienne. You are very welcome. Might I say you are a very courageous young lady to have taken this dangerous journey. Once the ring is secure and you are able to return home, you will return a hero."

Arya grinned up at the very proper behemoth woman and wanted to tell her how much she loved everything about her. Sandor made a disgusted sound and rolled his eyes at them all.

"Enjoy your little social time. We do not have much time left for it. As soon as you think you can, you must bathe and dress. In spite of the dazzle and comfort surrounding you, I need you not to be fooled by it. Do not think you are safe, none of you are, not yet. Not until the ring is away from you. Do you all understand that? Stop acting like silly children and listen to me."

Breinne pulled the exasperated man aside and spoke quietly with amusement into his one perfect ear.

"Sandor, they are silly children. Just silly children that happen to be very brave and nearly died to save us all. Give them a few minutes and then we can move them along. The others are still showing up, Stannis isn't here yet. Balon Greyjoy has only just docked and Lysa is too busy having a tantrum to do any counseling tonight. I agree with you, this isn't a sanctuary for very long for the kids or the ring, but it will suffice for now."

Scowling, Sandor gave a begrudging nod and grumbled that he will send in servants to usher them along in ten minutes. He stomped out of the room and Breinne followed at a more leisurely pace.

A golden metal hand landed upon her shoulder and Brienne chuckled dryly.

"Let me guess. You want to pull best friend status to get near the ring. You want me to support your offer to take the ring yourself, gain one last glory. Forget it. I have seen what the ring calls. I have felt the pull of it myself as I carried the girl and it brushed against me. Jaime, if you saw what I did....it told me things that I wanted badly to believe. Such lovely lies and it would do exactly the same to you. None of us can touch that cursed thing, not even you or your sister or father."

Jaime visibly pouted and shoved her without much forced.

"You are so dramatic and paranoid. I almost am insulted here. You'd think I am such a false, egotistical vain asshole that I would instantly fall prey to the ring and the Leech Lord."

"You would be. You are a false, egotistical vain asshole. I'm your best friend because I am your damned conscience. Sometimes, I am your voice of reason. This is one of those times. I am telling you for your own damned safety and for the safety of us all, stay away from that fucking ring, Jaime!"

 

By the time the sun was beginning to turn pink as it slowly danced away beyond the mountains, Arya was in her bath. It felt so strange to be washed and dressed as if she were a child. The dressing and grooming took longer than anticipated.

Mainly because Arya was horrified at being offered a long dress. After she was nearly forcibly shoved into it, another servant began trying to curl her hair. It was short, thick unruly hair and styling was useless.

Only when Arya threw the hairbrush out the window and the dress after it did someone of authority intervene. Breinne came in with a folded package.

"This is a gift from Cersei and the entire council for your brave actions. I think you will find this more suitable to walk around in."

Arya was dressed in moments and was delighted with the result. Black breeches, a long ivory shirt, it looks so delicate and yet Arya never felt a stronger cloth. Black leather boots with matching vest, jacket and belt with attached pouches. Finger-less leather gloves completed her.

In spite of the aches and pains, Arya was determined to explore this amazing place. After being escorted to a lovely dining room, Arya discovered she was starving. Her friends were already at the table along with her teacher, Sandor and Breinne.

"Tomorrow you will have to deal with all the fancy folks here. So this is just a last chance to have a relaxing meal together until you leave this place. Cersei herself planned your menu, I hope you will enjoy your meal."

Arya smiled and sat down to eat with the others. It was the best meal they have ever had and spoke of it for years after. Perhaps it was the camaraderie, maybe just a moment where they actually felt safe, where they felt it was time to relax finally.

There were thick slabs of boar steak, berries of every kind, cheeses and breads they had never heard of. Fruits prepared in honeyed glaze, pies full of vegetables and spiced meats. Thick fruit drinks soothed their parched throats and the rich food fortified their stomachs.

Jokes began to fly, Arya was teased for getting wounded, Lyanna was also teased for her own wrapped hand and arm. The girls gave back as good as they got and the table was full of warm babble.

As Arya patted her full stomach and leaned into her chair, a tall figure appeared in the archway of the small dining hall. Cersei gave a graceful entrance and her hard but sparkling eyes landed up Arya.

"Little dove, I am so glad to see you up and about. I was quite concerned for you. If your friends can spare you, I would love to give you a moonlit tour of our home and garden?"

Arya stood up slowly and smiled.

"Thank you so much for helping me. For caring for my friends and for this great outfit. It's an honor to wear it. I'd love to walk with you."

"Excellent."

Arya did not see the looks of concern on Sandor and Brienne's face as she followed the tall queenly woman away from the others.


	8. Moonlight And Fire

It was somehow transformed, as if nightfall changed the entire landscape and everything within its grasp.

Arya was breathless as Cersei led her outdoors. The cold but lovely white and gold became infused with light as if it would be warm to the touch. Before Arya could explore this, they were outside.

Winding bridges gently carried them over and under the incredible castle. The trees created lovely wooden and ivy tapestries, flowers forming into canopies as they moved. Arya looked to the left and saw a lovely waterfall, the roar of it was somehow comforting.

The moonlight has turned the fish into twinkling fairies leaping about the glimmer and foam of the water. Cersei smiled and led her down a winding staircase that led to the gardens.

"It is my favorite place to be. I think better, envision things clearer here. Most find this smaller garden too confining and dull. We have so many others with such color or great works of art within them. Mazes, gardens for everything. But this small one, there is something here just for me."

Arya had to agree that is was a nice garden. It was better than most of the gardens at home in a different kind of way. The flowers were exotic, the plants so carefully trained to move in certain ways.

The grey marble fountain had no tricks, it just sparkled water that gently fell, almost hypnotically. Benches were placed near the fountain, giving a few of the distant mountains.

"I was honestly afraid you were taking me to some really fancy garden. At home, there is a good amount of farming and gardening. It's different but it was never my thing. If I try to grow anything, it dies instantly. If you had tried to impress me with a garden, this would be it. A simple, private place to just be yourself."

Cersei looked down at Arya and gave her a lovely smile. Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight and her voice was so lyrical, Arya found herself following every word. As if being sucked inwards but in a really nice way.

 "You dress and speak like a Northern boy and yet, your eyes give you away. It is that spark of true female, the Warrior Goddess, the Huntress, they are within you. Ah, how I longed to break out of my role here as a young girl. It was not to be, my family would not have it. I envy and admire you, to be able to travel as you do. To go on such adventures. And you are so brave, so strong to be able to wear that ring about your neck. Don't bother checking, dear. It didn't fall out of your vest, I can see it in my mind's eye. I can feel it pulsing, calling to me."

Arya checked anyway, but the ring was secure under the vest. 

The sudden eagerness upon Cersei's face thinned her skin out, her chin seemed to sharpen. Her breath came faster and there was a husky deep almost vibrating sound to her voice. Eyes pinned upon Arya's vest as if shooting daggers into her heart.

Yet Cersei remained graceful even as her movements became intense. Those sharp orbs suddenly pierced Arya's.

"It tells me things, it speaks to me, I know it must speak to you. Tell me, what does it offer you, promise you? Does it tell you that you can become a great warrior for Him? Do you recieve assurances that you could ride a dragon that would take you into glorious battle? I can tell by your eyes. It is true...it offers you everything you wish for deep in your heart. Things you only release in the dead of night, to the moon, to the sky and the gods. And yet, you somehow resist it. Do you know how rare that is? You are a young girl, just an innocent Northern tomboy and able to hold such a ring. It could kill you, it would have killed your friends or taken them over instantly. Do you know that? And the amazing danger you have all placed yourselves in? Even after you no longer have the weight of the ring, that wound will haunt you forever. All of you will be forever marked by this. Such a risk taker you are and you must be clever to get so many to take that risk along with you."

Cersei leaned over Arya and gave her a sympathetic look. Her hands were folded upon her waist and she looked like a Queen, so regal, so wise.

"My dear young lady, you do understand there is a chance that no one else will dare carry that ring? If others cannot touch it safely then you may very well have to carry this incredible burden yourself. You and your friends will have to go into the wretched lands of such horrors that even if you manage to survive...I pity your nightmares. Oh, you didn't understand that, did you? You are so young, this is so much for you and that fat tutor of yours, I don't think he will last very long. But even if he dies, you must carry onward."  

Arya leaned, no, sagged against a thick tree and felt so heavy, tired. Her wound was aching, freezing and suddenly it was all too much. She went from brave adventurer to teenage drama in less than a second.

She ripped at the chain and felt the burn against her skin as the links broke. The ring was in her hand and it felt warm, eager and hungry. It felt so alien in Arya's head that she nearly threw up at the squirming emotions rippling through her.

Cersei's eyes went wide and she gasped when the girl thrust her palm forward with the ring resting upon it. Pulsing with light, they both could hear it's song that enchanted weeds and wilted flowers around them.

"Here then! You have it, you take it! I don't want it anymore, I don't want this responsibility!  We need to go home now! Take the stupid ring, take it! I am giving it to you, take it!"

Arya's angst changed quickly, almost as quickly as Cersei's demeanor. Staring in confusion as Cersei staggered back one step then pulled forward again. She sucked in a breath and it seemed to go on forever. Arya felt as if the air was being greedily sucked up all by Cersei. 

In a very hushed tone, but one filled with a sickening sort of yearning, Cersei spoke as she slowly extended her fingers towards the ring.

"You...you are offering me this ring? Do you understand what I could do with it? Do I want it? I want nothing more, in this fragile, graceful body is a warrior raging with blood lust. And oh, yes, I want to release it, the ring could let me. It could, it would and I want that, I always have since I was a little girl. Oh, what I would be, what I could do and you offer this freely to me?"

Even though the image would haunt her dreams forever, Arya could never truly describe it to another. The emotions were too confusing and elusive. The sight was such a mix of beauty and repulsion, she had no words for it.

As Cersei's fingers trembled inches from the gold circle singing to her seductively. Now her voice was a bell ringing, pealing, declaring war, death, ash and smoke. She grew thinner, taller and her face angled, sharpened and hollowed out.

A crown adorned her head, it was heavy, it was a penance yet a victory all in one. It pained her and she loved it, hated it, coveted it, yearned for it and was freezing from it. Green fire blazed around her, through her. The lovely long velvet red dress had turned black, spiky, untouchable.

And it was the most wonderful, terrible sight that made Arya cry with the worst passionate fear and love for one painful second of eternity.

"All will fall before me to their knees. I would be Queen! I would be beautiful and without mercy, I would make them all grovel, they will love and fear me. I would burn all my enemies, all those who betrayed me, those who should have loved me, should have understood me! All those who forced me down, who scoffed at me! All those who thought they were better than me! I would control and I will bring everyone to ash and ruin! Those who survive will obey, will know loyalty and if need be they will know chains! I would have everything and I would be the Queen of Madness, the Queen of Fire and Ash and it would be so glorious! I can feel how wonderful, how easy it would be. And you are offering me this chance, this choice? You have my temptations sitting right on your hand waiting for me to just grasp it. Slip the ring on my finger and I will own this whole wretched world! It will all be mine! I will burn, burn and burn until it is all ash."

Arya wanted to pull the ring away but she found herself frozen. She was unable to do anything but stare at this amazing vision of such poisonous venom and lovely, awful Queen to be. Those fingers nearly grazed the ring that was singing so loud it pierced their ears. 

Then Cersei gave a cry of agony as she forced herself away, lunging back. And as Arya tried not to turn hysterical, Cersei gave a sudden laugh. It was harsh, it was full of emotion and it was filled with a relief and victory that Arya couldn't understand at all.

The graceful woman was suddenly sweaty and leaned against a tree of her own for a moment. Her voice was normal and the image was shattered.

"I did it. I...I always knew that a test would come. A true test of temptation...And I passed the test. I will be the Queen, but I will find my own way, not through that ring. Thank you, Arya. You must get that necklace repaired before you leave, dear. Tomorrow you will meet my son, Joff. I am afraid that he is nothing like my sweet Tommen. Do not let him touch that ring, do not make him this offer. He is not old enough, not strong enough yet to resist such a thing. Trust me that you do not wish him as your King."

Cersei gave a small smirk and managed to gracefully head for the way back. Her pace was a bit slower and her step was a tad heavier, yet she glowed. Arya rushed to the woman and grabbed her arm.

"Wait! But...what about if no one can hold this ring? Remember you said that before you scared the living shit out of me by becoming a Queen that was on fire? What if no one else can take this ring? I can't do it, I'm just a teenager, you know. I can't do this, can't put my friends in danger. What if I can't do it and no one else can either? Then what happens?"

With a little sigh, Cersei leaned down and spoke in a gentle but somehow ruthless tone.

"Arya, you already know that answer to that. If you are the only one to be able to carry it, then you will. And you might die. And it is a certainty that some of your friends will die. Yet you know what you must do. Ask yourself something, my dear. Why would your father allow you to act the tomboy, why would your family allow that? When they are so staunch in their proper place of things? Hmm? It was fated before you were born. The same as my destiny was, I see that now and you must too. In order for me to be a Queen and you to be this ring-bearer...we cannot change it. We will sacrifice everything, even our own morals, ethics and perhaps souls in order to reach our fates. I shall lead you to your room, you need your sleep. You have much traveling to do, whether to home or to a land of evil."

The woman moved fast up the stairs then, clearly done with Arya and their conversation. Arya glared at Cersei's back. Sure, sleep will come easily enough after this pep talk. The ring pulsed in Arya's hand and she had to spend the rest of the night trying not to vomit.


	9. Forced Perspective

_The heat was nearly as unbearable as the cold. It was hard to adjust one extreme temperature to another._

_Ramsay winced, Reek whimpered and the dogs shook. A grey painted giant sneered at them as he strode past, his sharp teeth gnashing at them to watch the scrawny creature yelp and hide under it's master's boots._

_Ramsay glared at Gregor and forced himself to not let the cold and heat crack him. He snapped at his dogs to heel and gave a sharp kick to Reek to get him moving again. They found themselves slowing down as they approached Ramsay's father._

_The dreadful heat of the forging of weapons could not defeat the freeze that came from Roose Bolton himself._

_Before Ramsay could make a single sound, a soft, chilling voice floated through the chaos and noise of the room with ease._

_"You failed. You wounded two but lost the holder of the ring. Your creature is attracted, obsessed with that ring. He will lead you to it and you will take the ring and it's holder to me. Slaughter the rest. They were children, a school teacher and the smallest giant we know.That was what I had said to you. And I was assured it would be easy for you. But you lost a fight with children, their fat teacher and a small giant. Oh, and one female playing at being a knight with a few magic prayers. Mustn't forget that. I am displeased. We shall speak in private about this later. Gregor, take a group of your best warriors. Find me the holder of the ring and bring her to me. You may do as you wish with the others. Eat or enslave them for all I care. Bring me the ring. Bring me the girl."_

_Gregor nodded and tossed Ramsay such a smug challenging look that it took every inch of the man not to attack the giant. It would end badly and only shame him more in his father's eyes. So Ramsay stood still as Gregor and his warriors began to prepare for their hunt._

_There was no doubt they would succeed in Roose's orders and Ramsay was jealous that he kicked Reek again._

 

_Reek watched as Roose expertly peeled a long line of his Master's flesh from his back. There were many patches there and by some new magic recently, they heal so his father can peel them again._

_Ever since Ramsay had...changed which was after his father had changed, they had powers that Reek didn't question._

_However, Reek has changed too and he doesn't talk of that either. It is accepted with a certain level of misery and sweet painful joy and he assumes it is the same for the others._

_Except one thing._

_They all seem called by the Eye. Which Reek found kind of silly. What was the point of pleasing a talking Eye? What did that gain or do?_

_No, Reek was called by the ring and only the ring._

_He coveted it, he loved it, adored it, he loved his Master of course, oh yes, but the RING, that was a gnawing desire, a pull that he cannot ignore. Reek will obey his Master, yes, oh yes, he serves with terror, submission, loyalty and love but the RING, he just needs to hold it, touch it and wear it._

_His Master will let him wear it and he can obey, yes that is fine._

_He thought his reasoning was sound as he slipped away and followed the song only he could hear._

 

Arya woke with a start, covered in sweat already forgetting the dream.

She tried to hold it, to hold what the freezing cold man had said, what the creature was babbling about. It fell away with the sun streaming through it like thin paper and Arya just remembered they were being hunted.

Sighing, Arya stretched and carefully got out of the feather filled bed. The bed itself and it's covers, pillows, it was all much larger and softer than Arya had at home.

Yet she desired more than anything to have her thick frayed wool blanket wrapped around her as she stood up and maids flooded in. They offered her a few dresses which she hotly refused. Arya accepted the bath but not the assistance that came with it.

Finally, Arya caved enough to allow them to assist her in wearing the outfit Cersei had given her.

And to brush then braid her hair in lovely beads and trinkets. They might have assumed it was Arya's feminine side wishing it but the girl was simply thinking that it kept her shoulder length hair out of her damned way.

On her way out of the room, Arya stopped and rested against a lovely balcony that looked over a large marble foyer below.

"Good grief, I got injured too and I can walk without sagging."

Grinning, Arya straightened up and waited for her friend to walk up to her. The grin dropped away when a tall thin teenager on the edge of manhood strutted down the hall. His face was petulant and he looked like the kind of person who skinned cats for fun.

Lyanna's arm was in a sling but her other hand hovered over her dagger stuck within the belt of her leather skirt. Arya pretended she didn't feel her wounds either as she stood tall next to her friend.

The look he was giving the girls suggested they might be the next cats he wants to skin.

"Which of you two little girls is holding onto the ring? Both of you don't look capable of making it as far as you did. Maybe my mother heard it all wrong. Maybe my little brother is hiding that ring from me, or that sneaky, disgusting little witch. She looks like she belongs with the others that serve the Eye. I bet she is hiding it and you two are just lying for her. Has to be."

Lyanna bristled and growled at this stupid boy's audacity. Arya lifted her chin, insulted into blurting out the truth.

"I hold the ring, you foolish idiot. Just because you are a rich entitled snob doesn't mean you have the rigth to speak to me that way. I bet you couldn't last as long as we did. Look at you with your fancy clothing on that skinny body. And that high pitched voice, I hope you have a better voice when you speak to your dates, if you ever get any of those."

With a cruel smirk, Joff came closer and sneered at the girl while his eyes tried to not look greedily at the shining ring in the girl's fist. Lyanna tried to stand in the way but was nudged aside by both of them. Rolling her eyes, Lyanna leaned against the balcony and muttered,

"Yeah, I'll just be here if anyone needs me. You want to wrestle over a ring that can destroy the world, go right on ahead."

Joff and Arya glared at each other, neither dropping their eyes first even after Lyanna started to softly hum to herself.

"Your mother thought she wanted this ring too, you know. I offered it to her and she almost took it. Almost. Then she saw what she would become, what her world would be like and how it would end. If your own powerful mother couldn't take this ring safely, what makes you think you would do any better?"

"You lie! You filthy, bratty, lying, arrogant, punk tween! I will finally be able to prove my worth by taking that evil ring to destroy it myself!"

Joff's hand shot out and his greedy, itching fingers stopped just short of the ring and this time Arya steeled herself for the inevitable.

It was only poor timing that not only Lyanna was witness to the doomed change, but so were the others heading down the hallway for the breakfast before the meeting. 

Cersei was leading a rather distinguished group of folks from the right and Samwell was walking with Shireen and Tommen from the left. Cersei's arm was being held by an elderly woman with sharp eyes, both followed by the loveliest young socialites Arya has ever seen.

But her eyes were on Joff as were everyone's. 

Joff's eyes glowed with a blood red that seemed to cause a purple glow upon his skin. His voice was choked and cruel, so wretchedly evil that even Cersei seemed to shudder at it and clutch her neck.

"I would rule them all and all would bow before me. There would be no mercy, I would make rivers of blood just to put more fear upon their faces. All of them would live for me, die for me as I choose it! And the ring knows what I will be, its KNOWS I SHOULD BE KING AND I WILL MAKE ALL DANCE FOR ME LIKE PUPPETS! CHAINS INSTEAD OF STRINGS IF THAT IS WHAT THEY DESERVE! AND YOU TWO, YOU GIRLS WOULD BE PLAYTHINGS FOR ME. YOU WOULD DIE SLOW, BLEEDING LIKE MY RIVERS, SCREAMING FOR MERCY THAT WILL NEVER COME. YOUR SCREAMS WILL FEED ME AND THE SCREAMS I WILL HEAR FROM MY CASTLE WINDOWS WILL FILL ME!"

But then his eyes turned like fire and he whimpered. The image of the Eye burned in his own and Joff gasped for air. He shook his head then grabbed his throat. Arya spoke as if in a trance as Joff seemed to strangle as his hand froze above the ring, no longer in his control.

"You will rule and be ruled. You would give in to all your sadistic urges and the Eye would control your soul and your kingdom. It will all crash but not before you are considered to rabid to live any longer. You will die a terrible death, you are feeling that now, aren't you? Is it worth touching the ring? Do you still feel you can take it all the way to it's destruction?"

Arya yanked the ring away and hid it within her blouse. The illusion broke and Joff fell back, sobbing and coughing. He pointed at Arya and began to accuse her of witchcraft.

Cersei gave her son a disappointed but loving look and continued leading the others into the breakfast room.   


	10. Rotted Pretty Things

Arya began to drag her feet towards the dining room. She had no appetite and was starting to notice something about the ring that was distressing her. It was pressed against her skin under the blouse and tunic.

Twice she moved it, twisted and lodged it but it fights through any cloth barrier somehow. The ring was annoyed at being hidden and so it has found another amusement perhaps. Arya hated to think of it as alive but there was nothing for it.

Pressing, nestling into her flesh it seemed to fill her with a squirming, wet, warm feeling that made Arya just wish to retch. Everything had a tinge to it and it was as if everyone's secret parts were leaking out.

She decided that breakfast was out. Those glittery folks have secrets swirling around them and Arya wants no part of it. 

"Arya?"

Spinning around, Arya stared at her older sister.

Sansa looked different, like a young lady, her hair all piled onto her head wearing a dress similar to Cersei's. Arya had no idea she would run and hug her but she did exactly that. Sansa embraced the lunge and hugged tightly. 

When they awkwardly released each other, both red but grinning, Arya cleared her throat.

"It's been a really long time. I'm sorry I didn't write you. How are you? You look really good, like that society queen."

Sansa gave a tiny snort and gently embraced Arya's arm, ignoring the disgusted twist and dragged her anyway.

"Lets walk unless you are hungry?"

Arya shook her head and allowed Sansa to lead her towards a balcony. Archways were everywhere but Sansa gracefully walked with confidence and purpose.

Her eyes glowed and her lips were in a familiar enough glow but Arya could sense the wrong here. The ring was humming and something gave the weakest pulse back. Gasping with a shock that went through her, she pulled away and walked next to her sister.

"I am sorry I could not see you when you first came. We had all been worried that Breinne wouldn't find you in time! Margeary and Loras had to comfort me. When you showed up, no one saw you but the maester, the septa and Cersei! Even Twin himself came down from his tower to hear a report on your health! When I asked you to see you, I was told you were too ill. Then when you woke I was told it would be rude to enter your room without invitation. Unlike home, its a very proper place here and no one defies the orders of Tywin or Cersei Lannister. I was excused from breakfast to visit with you. The next time I see you will be at the Council meeting. Do you know how seldom they ever call these type of meetings? Figures it would be you to cause it."

Sansa gave a playful pat to Arya and the girl grinned but the ring was jeering.

"Arya, you look so pale and disturbed. Are you in pain? How is your wound, I am so sorry to just have dragged you. Do you need help?"

Quickly Arya shook her head and grabbed Sansa's arm to keep her from summoning anyone.

"No, thank you. I am fine, it's just a regular stab wound, it will heal. I am glad to be walking and talking out here with you rather than with that society group. Sansa, is everything alright with you? How are you, are you still going to marry Joff? I really wish you wouldn't, this ring...it let's me see things. I saw inside Joff and it felt like bugs and razors scraping on my skin!"

Sansa's voice became a little lower, softer but more lyrical as she spoke. Something new seemed to light her eyes and her feet seemed to dance more than walk.

"No...actually...things have changed. Since the Tyrells came here a few months ago, things have gone a little crazy. I mean...to be blunt, Joff and I were not a good match. But Margeary is perfect for him and she is so wonderful! I think I love her nearly as much as Joff does! And Loras is the most brave, charming man I have met. He and I are sort of...I think we are going to get engaged. Joff and Margeary announced their engagement a while ago so soon enough it will be our turn! It sounds crazy, I know and Cersei hates all of it but her father rules her too. She has no say and cannot stop our happiness!"

Arya stared at her sister's wrist. It had a very lovely little charm bracelet. Glass beads filled with crushed flowers and crystals shattered to mere glitter winked back in the sunlight.

The ring gave another pulse and the little bracelet almost seemed to squeal with a tiny sound that made Arya whine in pain. She shook it off and touched the beads.

Arya heard her sister ask if she was paying attention to her when her finger gently touched the bead. Then there was a small explosion of images in her head which deafened her, drenched and swallowed her.

That old woman, that wise crone was sitting at the dining table. Taller than the sun, thick rose thorns, thick roots and vines all sprouting from her. The rest of them could not see her vines twisting and tangling all in her reach. Her eyes blazed and she seemed to SEE her visitor.

The only one at the table who seemed to SEE the old woman's treacherous thorns was Cersei. Who had been staring at the old woman but now also seemed to SEE Arya.

Even Cersei was pinned down, her hands entrenched in thorns and Joff had vines wrapping around his throat so slowly and gently. Arya pulled back and saw the mess of thorns poking out of the pretty charm bracelet on Sansa's wrist.

Sansa gave a small shout of dismay when her sister reached out and yanked so hard on the bracelet that it broke. Beads spilled everywhere and Arya staggered as the world came back clear again.

"Hey! Why would you do that! Olenna gave that to me! It was special!"

"No, it was a charm, a spell that she put on you. You need to stop taking jewelry from strangers, Sansa! I shouldn't have to tell you that! Give yourself a minute, I bet you'll see what I mean. Peek over towards the dining area, right into that little archway? You can see them all in there. Take a quick peek, maybe the twins and the old lady might look or feel different to you."

"What are you talking about? Have you gone crazy? Oh no, you look terrible, all sweaty. Like you just ran a mile or something...let's go get you a small nap. The maids can bathe and redress you in time for the Council. I must have overtaxed you, I am...uh..."

The breakfast was ending and folks were standing up, moving about still chatting. Sansa was staring, frozen, mouth halfway open. Her eyes were sharp and cold as they took in a clearer view.

Sansa watched with winter growing inside her, the Northern winds blowing her thoughts clear. She observed the handsome Loras try to secretly proposition a male servant who seemed all too familiar and eager.

Her chin rose slightly as she noticed how Margeary hides her revulsion from Joff. And when the old woman looked up and directly at Sansa. Then gave a tiny shrug and a quick wink at Arya.

"I was under a spell? Was I before with Joff and Cersei? Is that..."

Arya gave a small laugh.

"No, only the old lady gave you a charm. I think with Joff, you were just stupid and fell in love with a terrible person."

Sansa shot Arya the dirtiest look and then stood very tall, her voice was cultured and icy.

"Thank you for removing the spell. I think I am going to rest before the Council meeting. I need time to think on some things. I will see you then."

Without another glance at anyone, Sansa gracefully walked away. Arya had an uneasy feeling as the shadows of the pillars ran across Sansa's light pink dress as it flowed past. It seemed like the stone was melting from the pillars and slithering up onto Sansa.

Arya shivered then turned to see the old woman heading for her. She decided that Sansa had the right idea and Arya fled, hoping not to get lost.


	11. In Which Arya Is Eaten Alive

Arya decided that no matter how strange or invasive this felt, she was keeping this ring close to her skin. For now. Later she can wear it on the outside of her clothing when she didn't feel it had a chance of being grabbed onto.

Besides it was only showing her important things. Arya was to leave the ring in their proverbial hands to be given to someone more qualified to get rid of this cursed item. It wouldn't be her and it was nice enough of them to let her watch the council meeting.

So why not take advantage of seeing a more bare truth in these folks who have stake in the ring? That way if a very wrong someone tries something, Arya might know it ahead of time. She could alert Sandor or that big lady or Cersei if need be.

Already it has helped avert some terrible futures, Arya was sure of it.

By seeing their own destruction, the Lannisters will change their ways, surely. And Sansa was no longer giving the Tyrells a look of adoration. No, Joff was receiving kinder looks and that was saying something.

Olenna and her grandchildren came close as they all began to file towards the large outer chamber in one of the countless gardens.

"Oh,ho. My dear twins, I have found the little scamp. It might be a swamp witch, they are tiny things so I've heard. Or maybe it is a little feral, one of those forest children? Hmm..small, hostile looking and certainly not house trained. No shoes. Come now, even a tiny unlearned witch could understand the need for shoes? Those boots are meant for climbing and none of the ladders around here are for you. Are you mute? Deaf and dumb? Hit upon your head as a babe? Oh, goodness. Must have no tongue. Pity."

The glittering twins tittered but there was real anger in their eyes. Having Sansa lose the charm makes her a complication in their games. What if this upstart decided to release Joff from his charm? What if Sansa was right now explaining to Cersei or Joff about the spell?

"You have irritated myself and my grandchildren with your common tricks. We were never intending to hurt your sister. In fact, we had saved her from a much worse fate. Joff is a growing monster and he has already caused Sansa much misery. With Loras in Highgarden, your sister would be married with children and as high in society as she wanted to be. You essentially crushed your big sister's dreams, Arya. What a terrible thing to have done to your own blood, dear. Shameful. Well, I will make a new charm for her and this time perhaps you can leave her alone, eh? Don't you have enough troubles to carry without adding more?"

Arya's eyes cleared and now the words the old woman said had registered. And then they didn't.

Her eyes seemed to cloud over and blacken. Deepen. Her features sharpened and narrowed. Cheeks hollow and tinged gray.

To the surprise and unease of the Tyrells, a laugh burst out of the girl. It took all three aback, not only it's rudeness but the sound itself. Lyanna, Samwell and Shireen had come up and also looked appalled.

This wasn't the merry chuckle that was once described by Arya's older brother Rob as the sound a drunken sailor on his first day of leave. Her laugh was always too loud, too rusty and sounded almost fake. No, this was the sound a demon makes when it's prey does a funny dance as it's head is ripped off.

It was a sound too ancient, too acidic and somehow perverse. It was a knowing laugh, a wise one but it knew all the wrong things and was thrilled to hurt you with it.

Shireen gasped and shoved both Lyanna and Samwell as far back as she could. Then she slowly slid around the wall so she could stay far from reach but could examine Arya's face and body.

Ollenna shoved both her uneasy grandchildren behind her and pulled her chest up with a determined breath.

"Disgusting display, utterly vulgar. Get out of that poor young girl, she is too young for your sick games, Lord Bolton. Take your Eye groupies and find a new campground. We are not interested in your cursed ring nor in your fake promises. Puppet Master, we all know who and what you are here. You have nothing to SEE or TAKE here! Begone with you! And leave that young body and mind just the way you found it, if you please!'

Arya's eyes blazed as if on fire and the girl whispered in a voice that froze and nauseated all who heard it. Explaining why Samwell suddenly filled a lovely vase with his now former breakfast. Shireen gave a soft moan and averted her eyes. She did not have enough learning to take on Lord Roose Bolton.

Sandor rushed over but hovered near Arya, he had no idea what to do. How do you cast a demon out of a person back into a ring? If that is what was happening? They really had no time for debate on the subject. At least that is what Lyanna and Sandor kept debating, clutching their weapons tightly.

Sansa, Cersei and Joff entered just as Arya's eyes turned into pools of fire and Roose's voice filled the air.

"Ollenna, I see all of you. So does Arya. Every one in this room that these young eyes see is dying before her. She can see your past, she sees your future. All your follies, all your terrible mistakes, those shameful deep private thoughts are laying naked like a ripped apart corpse. I SEE you, old woman, wicked unrepentant old witch. And your little twin puppets. Those strings you pull upon them might tangle and strangle them if you aren't careful. I wonder if you will find it a comfort as you stand over their gravestones that they died doing exactly what you brought them up to do? Will it comfort you or just bring you so much bitter bile? I will give you that knowledge as a gift, old woman. Your son will die, not that it will bother you overmuch, never did care for him, did you? Well, then see it as a relief. Your grandchildren are your true love. You poured your lessons into their pretty heads and they became your future. And they are going to die for it. You will watch time slowly pass and when you finally die, your house will die with you. Or you could come see me, Olenna. Send me your son and you can send the twins when you are ready. Allow your haughty pride to take one good hard blow by bending your arthritic creaky knees to me. I will show you a powerful secure future for your lovely twins. I would make Margeary into the Queen she has always longed to be. Loras would be a Prince and could marry anyone he chose. He would be able to keep Highgarden and only manage to expand it. How can you not wish for that? Do you not want to have your twins alive, to die knowing they live on?"

An old gnarled hand with overly large rings chuckling against one another slapped briskly across the girl's snarling visage. The girl seemed to blink and then the fire grew larger. Another laugh ripped from Arya's lips and Olenna took a shaky breath.

"You made me loose my temper, Roosey Goosey. But I'm better now. Do you remember that, young man? Oh, it was way before this Eye bullshit. Yes, you were in the same schools as my son and you were only special because of your name. You had a nervous tick, when you were stressed over testing or your parent coming to school. You would extend your neck as a goose does every few minutes or so. It stuck as a nickname and you despised it. Roosey Goosey. Silly things that just jump into my brain. Does that still bother you sometimes? Is that maybe why you felt a fire filled eye would be a good father figure? What is wrong, don't like your past or your possible future laying naked, stinking and spread for all to see like a gang raped, naked alcoholic birthday clown after the wrong party?"

Olenna thumped her cane down hard and stepped so her nose touched the girl's. She glared her old, cold eyes into the fire as all others watched, utterly fascinated.

As Samwell told Jon in a letter, they weren't sure if they were all more shocked at the sight of an elderly society dame take on a demon, or if the true shock was hearing such words and language come from the proper woman!

"Roose, if you and your beloved Eye can see so much then how come you aren't already here? In physical form. Ready to kick ass and take names. Because you can't, you are still too weak. So try and show us terrible things, shake us all up, scare us off and divide us from each other as much as you can. So we won't ask or give aid when you finally strike. If you ever manage a good strike that is. After all, as you love to show us, futures can be swayed or redirected. If you can SEE so well, why couldn't you see it would be useless to ever ask me to side with your damned Eye? Look at my past, take a good, clear and unobstructed view of me, Roose. You grew up with my son and heard the stories. You have been to my home and your magic allows you to see into what no one else could know. So go on, take my FULL measure. I am mean. I am cold. I am full of drive, hunger, greed. What haven't I done to earn the title of evil, Roose? What will I do next? You know that even murder is not beyond me, Roose. So you think because I am an evil, ancient beyond my time, that I should join you? I am evil. I am ancient, I grant you those sad truths. But there are degrees and types of evil, my dear. I do not seek to destroy our world, I just want to carve out some of it for me and mine. There is a big difference in that, Roose. And not a single person in this room wishes to touch your disgusting soul, no one here wants to hold or carry that ring. No one here wants to give you a free ride in their bodies. So leave and give that poor girl a rest from your torment. I cannot drive you from the ring but I sure as HELL am not going to let you wear her as if she were the ring!"

With a some harsh cawing words and some sort of lotion on her hands from nowhere that anyone could see, Olenna gave a caress to Arya's face. A quick glistening of silver that for no reason brought to everyone's tongue a taste of steel that has danced in battle.

The eyes went out then filled up in Arya's greyish blue orbs with her personality. Olenna peered into the girl's eyes then gave a sharp satisfied nod before fussily fixing her own skirts. Then the elderly woman pinned the stunned and dizzy girl with a stern look.

"Well, I am glad that distasteful display is over. Dear girl, this potion will not last very long, only a week or so. Listen carefully. You are the bearer. You carry the ring. The ring carries the power. You DO NOT switch the order of these things. The ring should not wear the bearer. Simply not done. Let us hope there is someone at the council who can carry this cursed thing. It is already eating you like a cookie and it is halfway through. A young girl that carries this much magic is bound to break. Pity, I say. Until you hand this ring over, girl, you have to be stronger than you are. If you can't actually do it...then you fake it. Hear me? Roose and that Eye have no business being around us, around you! If I thought I could carry it to it's termination, I would! Arthritic knees and all! Hear me, Arya. If it would destroy the ring, I would give up my son, I would sacrifice my beloved grandchildren. It must be destroyed and if no one else can carry it, you will take it. If I must compel you to do so with a thousand charms. Get. Rid. Of. It."

It was strange to the others how Olenna had first seemed herself then suddenly curled OVER Arya and seemed to grasp her in talons. Her words had gone raspy as if thick rust clogged her throat.

"It can't be his power, girl, I want it oh yes I do, I would suck your very life out for it. I would kill my own family for it but...I would be the most feared thing, I would have everything and I would be HIS pawn all along. Just another one of his monstrous puppets. No one owns me and no one ever will. I will con and I will accept being conned back. But to truly be a slave to a fiery Eye and Roosey Goosey? No, not for anything, not even for all of it. My freedom. That is mine. Even if I lose everything. At least I will still have freedom. Even if it kills me, I will die free, thank you very much. Now, get yourself to the Council and pray we have someone who can bear that ring. Otherwise, I guess I will making you more potion for your continuing journey."

Arya reeled as the female shaped predatory bird turned back into a regular slightly sassy society elder. The woman patted Arya's shoulder and grabbed her stunned grandchildren's arms.

She led them towards the council room and the Lannisters decided to simply follow. Cersei's eyes gave a small look of thanks to Arya then glared ahead at Olenna's back.

Why Cersei did that was only one of the many questions that Arya had. However, she barely managed to convince her friends and sister that she was fine before the next horror happened.

 

Arya has never met several members of her extended and very large family. One of them is her Aunt Lysa, her mother's sister. Only her dad and Sansa have met her. Arya has never had an urge to meet this aunt due to the descriptions she was given of her.

Her mother had simply said that Lysa has some emotional problems and it was best to keep some distance.

Unless father coaxed mother into a few drinks. Then the stories were rather funny but a little ominous. Lysa had a big jealousy and insecurity issue apparently. 

Anytime Cat did something without her permission or direction, Lysa would become furious. When Cat would have a sleep over or a date, Lysa would become the Lady Of Hellish Pranking.

Cat would giggle and burst out with the tales. The family all leaning close, Ned drinking, even Jon has come closer to hear. 

_"Well, some would think to put itch powder in our sleeping bags or perhaps make scary noises and bang things like the house was haunted. Not crazy Lysa, no that was too easy. Better to set fire to the bedroom curtains. I had one guy make it halfway out our door on prom night and she dumped her urine on him. She had been peeing in a jar for two weeks to make sure she had enough to really soak him. Lysa told me afterwards she was hoping to get both of us but I had stopped short to get my purse."_

Arya's father said the woman was utterly batshit insane and not to ever repeat that.

Sansa had stayed with Aunt Lysa when she was having some troubles with Joff a bit ago. Sansa had briefly seen Arya during a quick visit home and told her of it.

 _"The woman is terrifying. Keep away from her, our parents are right. I swore she was going to murder me. There is no one to talk to in her head. It was so gross there. It was like being thrown into some sort of all fetish allowed porn drama. Uncle Petyr kept creeping on me and while I am trying to avoid slithering lizard hands, Aunt Lysa is screaming at me that I am trying to steal her husband! She would threaten to throw me right off the damned mountain! Through it rather, in that damned hole they still use for executions! When I finally would cry and beg her to believe that I didn't want her husband, she would start to calm down. All sing songy and I would have to tell her how stupid and weak I am. Then the lunatic would feed me lemon cakes as if that helps and soothes me by saying I can marry my FIRST cousin! You know, the one that she STILL BREASTFEEDS to calm him down? Ugh. And wait until you ever meet Robyn if you have that misfortune. I don't know if they hit him on his head or if Lysa's milk is tainted but there is something very wrong with that boy._ "

Now as Sandor and Lyanna have got Arya calmed and standing straight again, Sansa and Shireen still chattering over magic something over others, here came that fateful day to meet Lysa and Robyn.

Sansa gave a near audible cry of sheer horror before giving Arya a look of deep sympathy. 

"Oh dear. Aunt Lysa and Robyn have come because they are the heads of the Riverlands. I forgot that meant they have a seat and a say at this council meeting."

Arya swallowed dried saliva and tried to not cough as the woman and boy came forth like a tsunami of pure wrongness. Even the ring seemed to dim its thrumming. Sweet Gods! What is this that even Lord Roose Bolton and the Eye would hide from?

She sidled over to press against Sansa, ignoring the fact that she grabbed Sandor to pull him to her side as well. The large man rolled his eyes and gave a sigh so powerful it ruffled Arya's hair. Arya watched the woman and boy come faster and she whispered to Sansa.

"Remember when I asked you what Aunt Lysa looked like? And you told me if a prune and a lemon had a baby then that baby's head was squeezed tightly right after birth, that is what she would look like? You were utterly correct. Oh no, she doesn't look happy."

"The woman rarely looks happy. If she looks happy, run."

Arya paled at Sansa's advice and nodded. She felt like running already.

Of course it was sweet, bumbling, well intentions abounding Tommen that was bringing Lysa to meet Arya. Of course it was.


	12. Candied Nuts

The lemon prune thin wrong head of Lysa on that thin, too thin body was awful. The fact that the woman was wearing a very fancy and expensive dress didn't help soothe the eyes at all. Putting finery on a goat doesn't make it look anything but a goat wearing finery.

Worse was the young boy sprinting towards Arya at a faster and faster pace. Was..was that drool on the boy's chin and why are his eyes so wide?

Arya found herself quickly backing up but she slammed into Sandor's chest. Lyanna and Shireen were hiding behind Sansa who was crammed against Arya. Samwell hid behind Sandor and whispered.

"Oh dear, oh my. Something is very wrong with that child. I am suddenly truly grateful for the class of demons I had. I forgive them everything."

Lysa was shrieking at her son to come back to her while poor Tommen tried to calm her and stop Robyn from his maddening pace.

"ROBYN! ROBYN, LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! DO NOT! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH IT! YOU TOUCH THAT AND I WON'T LET YOU HAVE MILK FOR A WHOLE DAY! I WILL SMACK YOUR HAND UNTIL YOU CRY! DON'T TOUCH IT, IT'S A BAD THING, A NAUGHTY BAD THING!"

Arya yelled back hoping to appease the terrified and frustrated woman.

"Don't worry, Aunt Lysa! The ring is safely tucked within my clothes. It cannot hurt him and he won't be able to touch it."

Lysa seemed to nearly grow four inches taller out of sheer indignation and rage. She bristled, pointed directly at Arya and her voice was a shrieking sound that seemed to shake the very trees and vines.

"I NEVER MEANT THE RING, I WAS REFERRING TO YOU!"

"Oh, well then."

Arya blushed and scowled as Sansa tittered along with the others. Then she was too busy dealing with the boy who has run up and stopped just before Arya's nose. Panting, he blew warm, moist gusts of rotted chocolate into Arya's nostrils and she recoiled.

Sandor pulled on her and forced everyone to take a step back. Arya stared at this cousin of hers and shuddered. This was who Aunt Lysa had wanted Sansa to marry? There couldn't be anyone in the kingdoms so desperate as to marry this boy under the care of the mad woman!

Robyn's eyes were too big and unfocused, then suddenly too focused. His smile was that of mindless wild creature that wants to be petted then bites the petting hand off just for fun or because it was done.

He drools, his skin looked beyond pale, more towards grey stone and his voice made him sound like a little child. Yet Arya is sure that Robyn is close to Tommen's own age.

Sweaty fingers began to drift towards Arya's face and she swatted them away.

"Hello Robyn. I am your cousin, Arya. It is nice to meet you. I don't think your mother wants you to touch me, let's not upset her, okay? She looks plenty upset already."

  "Pretty. You are pretty and you have eyes I have seen before. Once I found a frozen head of someone I made fly. They had only been dead a day or so. Had the same eyes as you do. But you are warm and alive. But you have dead eyes. I want to know why."

Arya had no idea how to even respond to that and found herself swatting away sweaty trembling fingers again.

"RRRROOOOOBBBBBBYYYYNNNN!"

All cringed at the echoing shriek and Sandor shuddered.

"Wonderful, I always wondered what the sound of pure madness would sound like. Now I know."

Samwell whimpered.

"I didn't want to know. Can't we just run into the dining room? Maybe the crazed lady won't follow us in or won't find us if we blend in."

Snorting, Sandor shook his head.

"None of us can blend in here, trust me on that. And crazy folks don't care about being polite, she'd throw tables until she found us."

Just then the squish head, flounce dressed nightmare surged up, enveloping them all in a powdery perfume smell. Her mouth opened like a seagull begging for a scrap. Everyone grabbed their ears as she let out a siren screech and her arms swooped up Robyn.

As if he were a toddler, she gave his ass one sharp whack then lifted him upon her hip. The muscles and tendons in her arm swelled as she balanced him upon her. As for Robyn, he folded his limbs accordingly and held on to her thin but corded neck with one arm.

With a face full of disapproval and suspicion, Lysa squinted at Arya, looking her up and down. Too stunned by their actions so far, Arya couldn't do more than just stand there, shocked.

"Young lady, if that is what you are, shut your mouth. It is very unsettling to let your jaw dangle like that. Are you slow, is she slow, Sansa? Stop pretending, miss! If you were that stupid, you wouldn't have gotten this far. I believe you are dumb, but not that dumb. Oh no, look how you already nearly seduced my poor innocent son! Using your eyes like that, to make him think of things that excite him. What a sick thing to do!"

Arya tried to concentrate on the absurdities coming from her sour aunt, it was hard to do with a sweaty finger inching slowly towards her left eye as if to touch it. She swatted Robin's finger away and Lysa reacted as if Arya had bit the finger off.

"YOU SICK BEAST, YOU HORRID ABUSIVE MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU, HE WAS JUST BEING A CURIOUS LITTLE GUY! OH MY POOR BABY, LET MOMMY SEE YOUR FINGIE! IT'S ALRIGHT, SEE, NO BLOOD, NO BRUISES BUT MOMMY WILL KISS IT ANYWAY FOR YOU!"

The entire time Lysa screech-cooed to her son, Robyn ignored her, staring at Arya, drooling. Arya decided she has had enough of this and began to skirt past the madwoman.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Lysa but we are very hungry. We have this last meal to enjoy before bringing the ring to the council and heading back home."

"Well, I for one am putting a forth a vote to banish you and your sister! Two seductresses in disguise! One acts like a princess, the other like a teen boy but both of you are just out for my son! Leave my precious Robyn alone! Do not expect any support from me at the council meeting, do you hear me?"

Sandor used his bulk to usher the others before him towards the dining area. Which resulted in them all being unnervingly slid across an entire hallway and nearly dumped on top of a hapless servant.


	13. Hard To Swallow

Arya has been through some bad meal times in her life.

When her mother was pregnant, weeping and throwing burnt food upon the table, screaming for all to eat it. Meals where her brothers turned the table into a battlefield, meals where her father was angry and drunk. Suppers with disgusting or insulting guests.

But this...

This was truly the worst meal Arya has ever suffered in her life. Every eye seemed to be upon her, whether in curiosity, anger, disgust or humor. Her friends and sister were squirming as they were suffering the intensity along with Arya.

Only Sandor didn't seem to care in the least and ate with a gusto that drew some of the more refined eyeballs.

The only thing that could have made Arya feel worse was having to suffer Robyn and Aunt Lysa during the meal.

So of course it made sense that the boy pushed and shoved towards her end of the table. With his mother shrieking and flouncing after him, just in case Robyn didn't have everyone's attention.

Shireen had the most composure since she was used to eyes and whispers.

"Uh oh, your secret admirer is staggering towards us. Aannd...there goes that lovely lady's dress. Well, actually the dress might be improved by grape jelly, who am I to say? Just remember, we are here for a very important reason. We only have to give the ring over to the council and leave. Concentrate on getting to those goals. Just let the boy drool onto your scrambled eggs and the crazy woman flap her dress and caw into the sky. Soon enough she will get bored of pecking you, scoop her son up into that frilly dress and then she will fly away."

The others joined Arya in the minor chuckle but she shook her head.

"He keeps trying to touch me, I can't just let him poke out my eye!"

Sansa nodded and offered support.

"Arya's right. If Robyn plucks out her eye he might pop it into his mouth like a marble. And if he chokes upon it, Aunt Lysa will only get louder and more aggressive."

Sandor picked up his meal in alarm, holding it high when the overexcited Robyn launched upon the table and crawled. Robyn took advantage of both the giant and Arya pulling back upon the bench in alarm to slide in between them.

Sansa leaned upon Arya's shoulder on her other side to keep the girl from escaping.

"It will look worse if you run. Plus, he will just chase after you. No sense encouraging the boy, he seems to find that sort of thing arousing and flirtatious. Do NOT ask me how I know this."

"Robyn! You will NOT sit there, it isn't safe! The giant will squish you and that boy-girl demon will hurt your gentle fragile heart. Come sit with Mommy and I will feed you. You can have special outside-Mommy-milk or even some toast with jam and eggs? Hmmm? ROBYN!"

There was a minor tremble of revulssion like a silent earthquake that went through the entire banquet sized room at this.

 

Damp fingers trembled on the verge of touching Arya's face and she kept nearly climbing into Sansa's lap to escape them. Her eyes were drawn to the slick chin and plump, spit shiny lips that twitched. A small tongue like a baby hairless mole kept trying to peek out and dab at those lips.

Arya felt quite sure that throwing up upon her cousin would be her final touch to add to this horrific meal.

Luckily, the cultured voice of Cersei rose above Lysa's screech without ever raising an octave.

"Dear Lysa, I am so glad you and your son felt well enough to join us. However, it seems that your poor boy has had a tad too much excitement. Perhaps I can have the servants bring your meals to your rooms? I am sure your Robyn could benefit from a warm bath full of calming herbs."

Lysa seemed to be so insulted that her flounces stiffened and bristled with indignation. Her hair seemed to rise along with her voice as her entire self seemed to just explode with her upset.

Lyanna leaned closer and whispered to them all, never taking her eyes off the magnificent sight.

"The woman looks like an enraged porcupine in a dress. Oh dear, how many strange looks and turns can this woman take? First a squished vegetable, then a shrieking bird, now this. I love this woman, if this is madness, it is truly entertaining."

Samwell suggested that perhaps Lyanna can work in a madhouse someday and Arya accused her friend of being a sadist.

Lysa's mouth opened wide as if she were about to offer up a song then the caw crashed over them all.

"It is this girl that is out of place here! It is that girl that is causing my son's erratic behavior. She is evil and so is that supposed ring she wears. I see no ring, I see no evil ring and if there is a ring, it is probably a fake! The little rat probably had her witch friend charm it so they can swindle us all! She will leave and half your stuff will go with her, mark my words!"

Olenna sighed and shook her head.

"I can assure you that the ring is quite real, Lysa. And it truly is a powerful evil. It has chosen Arya as it's carrier so far and that means the girl is exactly where she should be. I cannot speak for Arya's state of sanity but in order to have carried the ring thus far it must have been a tad cracked. But perhaps in a good way...you might wish to think upon that, Lysa. That good things can come from tragedy. That you can strive to make sense of the world again. And I wouldn't worry about the little junior witch. Little Shireen is still at a very remedial learning stage. She poses no harm to you or your son. So why don't you take Cersei's suggestion and go calm your son until the meeting?"

**"EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW-AAAAEEEEIIIIIIIII-UCK!"**

Robyn had apparently grown tired of just inching fingers towards Arya's face and eyes. He tried a new approach by leaping forward, clutching Arya by her ears to pull her close. Then that pink mole tongue slid up her right cheek and began to softly poke at her eye.

With a roar of annoyance, Sandor lifted Robyn into the air with one hand as he stood up. Robyn's arms and legs flailed and Lysa wailed as if her son was already dead.

"I hate it when there are critters in my food!"

The toss of the boy was quite well placed and he sailed into a soft lovely garden that Cersei had freshly grown inside the banquet hall. Lysa screeched and chased after her son while Cersei looked at Sandor as if about to order his execution.

"Arya, I do believe we have all had enough to eat. Shall we all go prepare ourselves for the Council meeting?"

 


	14. Guilt Trip From Hell

A plump hand firmly but gently covered Arya's arm and pulled her quickly down the hall with their group trying hard to not laugh as they followed.

"You can all stop tittering, this is becoming less humorous by the second! Arya, the sooner you rid us all of this ring, the better. Can you just see how utterly awful all of this is? Yes, there is great learning here and I would give the world to peruse more of their books...but there is magic, there is insanity, you are the first student I have ever that...that has been wounded! We have been chased by hell hounds and their terrible owner, this ring business is not for us, not for any of you, for young people who should be-"

Suddenly Samwell stood in shock, holding the air. He has had students glaze over and internally seek other locations while he has lectured. But this was the first time he ever had a student actually go to a new location.

And so suddenly.

The girl had been toying with the ring as he was speaking, then poof, the girl was gone.

Samwell's voice was full of stunned indignation, cutting through everyone's gasps of surprise.

"Well...I have _never_! Young lady, I am counting this as bad behavior in my report! You will return immediately or I swear this will go in my letter to Jon!"

Shireen crowded with the others around the space Arya previously held.

"She must have slipped the ring on her finger. She is with them, the ones that want their ring back. She probably can't hear you, Mr. Tarly."

Sansa nervously flitted about, wringing her hands.

"Should I get Cersei or Olenna? Or you are a witch, right? Can't you help Arya, bring her back with some spell?"

"I wish I could. But even those ladies can't help Arya even if they combined all the magic they know. The only way for Arya to return to our sight is if she removes the ring from her finger. It's that simple and yet its not. Because whoever she is seeing on the other side of things...really wants this ring back. All they have to do is convince Arya that she should bring it to them."

"So..what do we do then?"

"We wait. And hope."

Sandor sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, grumbling.

"Why couldn't she have done this when the little creature came running over the table at her? That way I could have at least finished eating while I waited?"

 

Arya had been listening to her teacher go on and on. The ring had tugged at her so gently, she never even really noticed. One moment it was just rolling along her fingers.

Then it was warm and firm like a hug from a large pulsing leech on her finger.

And she was nowhere, everywhere, swirling colorless colors that came and went in a blur. Then a sense of being pulled, sucked, forced forward at a dizzying rate of speed.

Her feet felt no ground, there was no air rushing in Arya's face nor did her hair ripple, but Arya never went forward to nothing, something so fast in her life. All she could picture was suddenly seeing a wall then being a small smudge of goo splatter.

Then she was in a new place with an audible thump that seemed to ring through her bones and into her head. It has never felt so hot before upon her skin. Surely her eyes were melting from their sockets. How the hell was she breathing and her lungs not turning to ash?

This wasn't a fever kind of hot or a summer day kind of hot. This was hellish, this was not livable, not adaptable. But that couldn't be true either because Arya could see movement.

In this reddish sky place with glassy black, jagged rocks that seem to long for flesh to rip, Arya was at the top of it. Some mountain top in a place full of fire and monsters. Ogres, orcs and things that hurt Arya's eyes just to see.

It took all of Arya's willpower and strength to stretch a grin across burnt, parched and peeling lips.

"Nope. I do not like this place, it just won't do. If I am able to travel this way, then dammit, I am choosing to go to a better place."

She could actually sense the tiny affronted shock from whomever was pulling upon the ring and that was all the bolstering Arya needed. Arya nearly tore her own brain apart trying to figure out how to leave this place.

Gasping, a string of blood leaving her nostrils, Arya forced a laugh.

"Guess I can't do it that way. Oh well, if a door won't open, I'll just find a window."

Arya began to climb down the mountain carefully on the opposite side of the hellish, creature filled world. She found the swirling mists and was sucked back in. Giggling for real, Arya wonders if this will take her home or to another possibly worse place?

_I have gone bonkers. What are they seeing back in that hallway? Am I drooling and peeing upon the floor or doing a sudden back flip while screaming the word GRAVY?_

And another bone jarring thud.

This was better but potentially worse. Arya really had no way of knowing. She wasn't sure if anything was real or if she might just have truly gone crazy.

_What if she was really running naked through the hallways with that Robyn lunatic? What if his crazy was contagious?_

"I would appreciate your attention even if our magic ring's powers aren't enough to impress you. Please, sit down and I will introduce myself."

Arya would have declined but found herself in a chair that seemed to be made of living wood. It felt squirming, warm and it's pain seemed to dimly scream into her head. A dreadful feeling but she found herself unable to stand back up.

This was a different place for sure. The stones around and under her were grey and unforgivably cold. Yet the air was still quite warm but the trees in the distance were all screaming. It hurt Arya's mind and heart, but her ears were all for this strange man in front of her.

At least it looked like a man and cast a man's shadow.

Yet the eyes, they were so cold that it made the stones seem hot. They pulled and seemed to try to eat her mind. Arya knew the thought was silly but the eyes were hungry, there was nothing for it.

Skin was so pale, lips the color of soft pink roses just beginning to darken and go to curling rot. Long fingers that ended in pointed pale fingernails that somehow seemed to blacken in the corner of her eye.

The voice was so soft, it was like a mild caress from the worst dream ever had. It was the crawling of a sudden spider, it was the caress of that hand under the bed. It was the raising of every hair upon the neck and the body.

"Such a clever girl. Such an impertinent little girl and yet, I see so much fire in you. And I need that, I could give you a place for all that fire."

Arya stared at the lips rather than those horrible suck-holes of eyes. The eyes and the voice pulled at her in a way Arya never felt before. And yet, it was still really just another adult trying to control her.

Arya filled herself up with boiling it down to something simple that she can deal with. Rebellion against authority figures was good. It was a specialty of hers.

"No, thanks. I just saw where your boss does his real hands on gritty work and I can't say it's a great place. Also, I believe I have met an employee of yours. Yeah, and his pets. I don't really like the whole costume change bit. He was gruesome to be honest. I might not be the pretty sister, but I refuse to become so ugly that folks vomit when they see me. And with my luck, the pet I would get as a perk would be that disgusting Robyn cousin-freak."

   

Roose stared at the girl and Arya felt a chill that made her teeth chatter. The soft voice has become a hiss that slithered up her spine then sank sharp fangs into her endocrine system.

Arya wailed along with her chair and they writhed in unison for a moment. She forced herself to sit back up and glare at the man as if it were her dad or mom giving her a spanking. Afterwards, Arya would always give that same look.

_Go on, hurt me but don't think it will stop me._

"Does clever witty retorts and rebelling mindlessly make you feel stronger or braver? How lovely and surprising you are. What a breath of fresh air you are. Look at how you bare your teeth at me and yet I feel you would rather stick out your tongue. You remind me in some ways of my son Ramsay before he was...truly part of a bigger thing. Ramsay is one you have encountered so far on your journey. Sadly to say, my son is the least of the so called monsters you are going to meet. I am Roose Bolton."

"So? I am Arya Stark. Your kid sucks and I am good with staying away from anymore monsters. I am giving this ring to the Council, I am going back to school and forgetting your existence. Unless I am already in a nuthouse. That is a real possibility, I'm thinking."

Arya never even saw the man move. He was bending over her and without wanting to, Arya was shrinking back along with the wood.

"I know exactly who you are. I also know that you are the only carrier of the ring. You are a thief and you must return that property. And I will assure you that this is real. Everything you see is real on this side of things. It's all the glamour of the castles, of the council and the pretty folk that is a lie, a facade. They have hidden away, they will not offer any real help to anyone, least of all to a girl holding onto a ring they are afraid of. They want you and your friends gone as fast as you can go. And they want you to take the ring with you. If they cannot use it then they need it to go away. And you have had so much fun showing everyone what would happen if they touched the ring. Did you enjoy using the rings' powers? Clever little thief, let me show you what is going to happen. Maybe you could appreciate a taste of your own medicine."

 

Still in the chair, Arya felt that same rushing awful feeling. It was terrible to her but it seemed to cause untold agony to the wood. The wood pressed and thrummed in silent deafening hell and Arya's skin tried to crawl from it.

A thud that seemed to silence the wood in a way that made Arya want to suddenly cry. Arya was still and so was the chair, but colors clashed and spun around her. Nothing made sense, garbled sound and motion, she got so dizzy that vomit filled her mouth.

Then it stopped without a sound and Arya began to hear Roose's voice over the blur of life frozen before her. It was as if the man were touching his lips to her ear. The voice was that close and intimate in a way that Arya gave a tiny whimper.

"This is what will happen if you continue this journey of yours, little thief. If you carry this ring for anyone but me. Let me show you the truthful future that well meaning or glittery nervous folks would hide from you. Here is the future if you fail in your heroic pathway. And you will fail, this is what I have seen, what you can feel as truth. Watch and see what happens to all those who trusted you, who loved you." 

Arya couldn't shut her eyes if she had wanted to. Instead she stared wide eyed as the scenes in front of her eyes changed, stilled, changed. And though she would have given all to not see it, she did. And it tore at her soul, at her mind, at her heart.

Because every single thing felt like the truth. Like it was destined, it was fate, these things are going to happen. They would happen and Arya just knew it. And it would all be because of her.

 

Arya saw her lovely sister crowned as a Queen. The dress was the most luxurious thing and Sansa's fiery hair in a towering graceful style. Her face was carefully made up to look glowing and as lovely as always. Her smile was gentle and her eyes were nearly empty.

On the wedding night, Joff held a crossbow at the ready while Sansa was beaten by his favorite body guard. The man then held her sister down while Joff raped her, as he used his sharp nails and teeth to make her bleed and scream.

He promised her and the repulsive guard that as soon as Sansa gave him a son, he would allow the guard to rape her.

Growling, writhing, Arya watched as Joff's mother lost control of her son and their people began to turn against them. Shadows began to flit through the castles and gardens. Cersei began to listen to them, Joff began to listen and so did Sansa.

Arya saw Cersei with a maddened wide smile, her eyes glowing as green as the explosives in her possession. She witnessed Joff's increasing cruelty and blood-sport, his soul slowly devoured by the seduction that was the great evil spreading, that his own sickness invited in.

And Arya watched Sansa allow herself to be lured, taken. So desperate to escape the torment that was her life with her sadistic husband, she went nearly willingly. And left a mad husband king to be given into the arms of a true monster.

Arya screamed in outrage and horror at the sight of Sansa being flayed and locked away by Ramsay Bolton.

"You can't save her from that. Not if you are off on a long journey to your own doom. Keep looking, you need to see what happens to the rest of your family and friends."

She could almost feel the freezing air and there was Jon. He was covered in dirt and bloody snow. He was so tired and nearly starved looking. And there was true fear in those eyes of his. Jon was always a tad gloomy but this was doom.

Arya watched as the White Walkers kept coming and no matter how hard Jon tried to fight them, he was losing. He might have a special sword but his coworkers did not. They were dying and reviving as his enemies.

She felt tears scalding her eyes when Jon was stabbed from behind by the very men trying to defend him. They had turned, they had eyes of ice and soon, Jon did too.

Then just as Arya was losing complete hope and faith another image flickered forth.

"Bran! He's alive! Bran, oh gods! Bran!"

Her elation at seeing her brother alive quickly sank into a black despair.

Bran was dragging himself on his useless legs through deep snow towards the trees. He was being helped by some girl who looked even more ragged than her brother.

The girl lunged hard and brought Bran to a thick tree with bloody eyes and a yawning mouth.

Arya cried out and struggled to leave the chair as if to keep Bran from the tree. The chair squealed in both pain and apology as it stuck fast to the frantic girl.

Helplessly, Arya watched as Bran grabbed the tree as if it to hug it. Roots exploded from the tree and began to pierce him. Bran arched and the thickest of roots plunged into his back. The boy raised his head and screamed, then the branch seemed to explode out of his mouth. 

The girl screamed but could not help him. Branches lowered and began to beat the girl as vines slithered forth to wrap around her neck. They squeezed until she moved no more.

Sagging back into the chair, Arya moaned, biting her lip until it bled so she would not beg Roose to stop showing her this nightmare. Images change and now it is her friends.

_Because why not rub fate and fault and guilt into her head a little more? Fuck you, Roose, fuck you fate, fuck you, ring. Please, no more. Please._

Arya's words only echoed in her head but she wished that she were slightly less stubborn. Because then she could beg for mercy and end this slideshow from hell. However, Arya might not be the pretty girl in her family, she was truly the most stubborn.

And so she watched and silently screamed her pain along with the cursed damned chair.

Tommen laying upon stones, his skull and delicate face crushed in. Robyn leaning over him, laughing.

Except then Robyn was elsewhere and he was melting. He screamed as his bones appeared then turned to ash.

Mr. Tarly in rags, cringing under a merciless whip, as he sported heavy iron manacles upon his wrists and ankles. A thick collar around his neck to show he is a slave or prisoner. He was kicked, whipped and forced to make a large wheel endlessly go around by disfigured creatures.

Shireen and Olenna with empty eye sockets sewn shut, kneeling in a circle with others blinded the same way. They knelt and strained over some swirling pit. They were being forced to use their magic for this pit in a way that made them wail in a terribly miserable sound that made Arya whine.

Sandor's eyes wide with panic as fire explodes around him. Another flicker and Sandor is being crushed, the new burns, freshly infected burns weakening him. And Arya watched as some horrible monster smashed her newfound friend into a puddle of gristle and gravy.

_Gravy again. Yep, crazy and ranting about gravy while they hide me away in a ha ha home. I can't take anymore. Don't cave now._

Lyanna Mormont, her other kick ass female buddy, that was what broke Arya. What made her finally scream out loud for Roose to stop.

Seeing her friend fighting so valiantly to protect Arya from some creatures on a rock above a red pit. Arya saw herself, she was different, they all seemed to be on top of that rock. And Arya screamed and broke when she watched her future crazed self stab Lyanna to death.

"Stop! Please, I can't take anymore! Fuck you! Damn you! Stop it!"

Roose gave a chuckle that made Arya feel violated as the scenes now all flickered faster. His voice told Arya that he won this round.

"I am not keeping you here, dearest girl. You are. All you have to do is take the ring off your finger and you can be back with your friends. And pretend you never saw what is coming for them. Or you can come back after you see reason and we can perhaps change things together. I only want back what was stolen. There can be a reward for the rings' return. I can change circumstances, I will offer you the chance to change the fate of your family and friends. Think on it, Arya."

 Feeling stupid that it didn't occur to her to take the ring off herself, dammit, Arya nearly ripped her own finger apart to get it off. It came off her finger, leaving bruised, bleeding flesh behind.

She fell before several familiar feet and Arya saw the ground rush to come say hello.


	15. All Of Us, Fate Or Folly

Arya roused when Sandor tossed her onto a bed and Lyanna slapped a freezing cold, dripping wet rag on her forehead. Shivering as icy rivulets made their way down her neck and scalp, she sat up.

"It was him. It was Roose Bolton, he showed me where the ring needs to go. I tried to leave the place and he put me in a horrible chair I couldn't leave! It was live wood, it was squirming and screaming in agony! And he showed me himself...then all of you, what will happen if I don't return his ring. Then Roose told me if I gave him the ring he could change your certain, locked fates."

Sandor rolled his eyes and the others tried to protest the validity of this but Arya persisted. She told them of what she saw, every detail seared into her head. Arya told them and by speaking it some of the fear lessened.

It was the fear she hid from Roose but now it strikes and she shakes. Sansa wiped away a few tears off her sister's face without a word, as if it were simply dirt. Arya never felt so grateful towards her older sister in her life in that moment.

 

When Arya had no more to say, Sansa patted her hand firmly.

"Well, I can dispel one of those fates right this moment for you. When you leave here today, I am going with you. I think I need to stop looking for princes cold turkey. You and I need to stick together and try to help what family we have left. We must find Bran if he is truly still alive and maybe even find a way to help Jon. So that cancels out the part where I marry Joff and get seduced by Ramsay Bolton. We shall get rid of the ring ourselves. Then we shall help our family."

Sandor shrugged and grimaced.

"Face it that you are stuck with all of us, fate or folly. Probably mostly folly, looking this group. I hate fire, I won't go near one so that is out, thank you very fucking much, girl. And if I die fighting such an impressive creature as you described, then maybe it's worth it. One hell of a fight, I'll die fighting, good enough for me."

Sam grinned at Arya.

"I am not exactly someone who would be picked to move a gigantic wheel, Arya. My figure sort of makes that type of thing useless. They would either eat me or have me do something that involved using my intelligence."

Sandor gave a mean smile and muttered helpfully,

"Well, I'd imagine a whip on your back and a lack of food would change both your figure and your urge to avoid physical work."

Arya giggled as her teacher glared at the giant. Shireen shoved past the teacher and Sandor to lean over her friend.

"If he can change these fates, then anyone can. We know what will happen now, that helps, it gives us a chance to change things. Even if one part of a fate comes true, it might turn out to be a help, not the hindrance it looks like. And as for mine...he mistakes me as all do. They see a witch, a little sad pathetic girl trying to learn minor spells to make up for my ugliness. They are all wrong, Arya. I am a wizard, I will be one of the most powerful and wise wizards that has ever been written about. It does concern me though, Olenna was there you said? Roose will blind and bind all the witches to harness their powers."

Shireen shuddered.

Lyanna shoved past the two men, squeezed past Sansa and rudely knocked Shireen over so she could climb onto the bed. Sitting directly on Arya's stomach hard enough to make the girl wheeze out air.

Leaning close enough that her hair was nearly sucked into Arya's throat, the girl put herself nose to nose and eye to eye.

"You are my best friend. You won't kill me. You might kick my ass or get stabby for some reason if our trip gets stressful, but you won't kill me. First of all, I am as good as you are if not better. I can keep you from killing me and like our soon to be blinded witch said, now we know and can prepare for it."

Arya grinned as Shireen growled curses upon Lyanna's future children, something about diseases passed by sailors on leave from Pyke.

"Your breath stinks of eggs, get off me. Yeah, I will try not to stab you to death. Maybe I will hallucinate and assume you were something else and that is why I do it. Like, maybe I hallucinate that you are a real, actual dangerous warrior?"

Lyanna whacked her head and rolled heavily off Arya and collided with Shireen who was stringing together quite the impressive curse for her friend. It was making Sam turn bright red, Sandor was chuckling and Sansa went between looking amused and confused at some of it.

 

Sansa finished her packing, planning for them all to bring their bags to the hall just before the Council room. They had every intention of leaving this lovely but deadly place as soon as possible.

Almost lightly, Arya ran her hands over all the wood in the room.

"This wood is just...wood, no screaming, it just feels warm and smooth. But that chair and I could sort of hear the trees in the distance, they were all alive and screaming. In pain and frustration and anger. Think of how many forests there are? What is Roose doing to the trees and what does that have to do with Bran?"

"Add on the dead men attacking Jon and the North! We have lots of questions, Arya, but we have no time to find out these answers right now."

Arya shrugged and submitted to letting Shireen help fix her hair. It is a mystery to all how Arya's hair always tousled and snarled no matter how short the cut is, no matter what Arya does. She winced as Shireen accidentally tugged too hard on a snarl.

"You are the only person who can go on an astral trip and still get snarled hair. Stay still, please! Now, while you were visiting Roose, did you ask about how he was able to possess you? Did you discuss it?"

"No, I was sort of busy having my mind melt, Shireen! It isn't every day that these things happen to me, you know! This isn't a normal Stark thing! Nothing about this is normal and I am doing the best I can here!"

"Oh calm down. Being dramatic is your sister's thing, not yours. I think that ring makes you closer to him every time you use it. I think you let him in when you used the ring to show everyone what could happen. I think if you touch it, think on it or use it in mild ways it opens you up for Roose to enter you."

"Figures, I have to be the one to carry a powerful magic object but not get to use it. I might have to die for it, we all might have to suffer for it, but we get not a single drop of pleasure from it in exchange? How fair is that?"

Shireen snorted at Arya's grumbling.

"Have you noticed something interesting? We all disputed our fates but not one of us has disputed that you will be this ring bearer and we your companions to it."

Arya had nothing to say to that and simply stared at the smooth silent wood around her.  


	16. The Council Knows Best

Arya kept the ring deeply hidden in her tunic and her chin as high as Sansa's, who walked next to her. The group surrounded Arya as they left the long dark corridor to enter the council meeting.

Blinded by not only the sun itself but the glare off gold and white marble everywhere. The only relief was green ivy climbing it's way up columns of pure white beams of light.

Sandor deliberately stepped in front of Arya so she could regain her sight as he grumbled.

"Gods! Is this a council meeting or an interrogation?"

 

Sansa pulled Arya forward as soon as Sandor's shadow let their eyes all adjust. The others filed silently behind them. Sandor looked around, utterly unimpressed as the others were stunned into intimidated silence.

Arya heard Cersei begin to speak in a very formal tone but the words were not filtering through.

The world was finally coming clear and Arya was too busy scanning the room. She took care to mark who was on each chair on the podium above them as well as the smaller crowds around them.

 

A pinch from behind and Shireen hissed into Arya's neck.

"Focus, I can feel him all over you! Stop spying for him and pay attention!"

Biting her lip on the inside enough to bring some blood, Arya came to focus. It terrified her that Roose could possess her still and she swore he laughed in her head before withdrawing.

 

Forcing her gaze onto the stage, Arya discovered she has missed the introductions of those in charge of the ring's fate. Damn it, this was important information to miss and Sansa will kill her. Her sister was already giving a small frown and a subtle stepping on Arya's left foot.

Cersei arched a brow and caressed the arm of the ornate chair she sat in.

"Young lady? Are you feeling faint or ill? Shall we pause while you have some water? Do you feel weak still?"

Everyone was glaring at her now, though Olenna seemed to be smirking and Lysa seemed ready to giggle and call for an execution.

 

Sansa stepped slightly forward and gave a small curtsy.

"Please forgive my sister. She had an ordeal, these henchmen of Roose's will not stop attacking her person or mind. Not while she has that ring in her possession. As it would be for any of us, if any of us had been strong enough to hold it."

Giving a slight smirk and a nod of her head, Cersei cleared her throat and gestured for Arya to come forward.

"We are grateful that you carried this ring for us, Arya. Perhaps today you can finally be rid of this burden. Please place the ring upon the small table so we may all look upon it. So all can be assured it is the true ring. All here have sworn to not touch it. It is safe, I promise you, dear."

 

Arya was so relieved, to finally get this cursed thing off her and her feet went forward. Her hands lifted the necklace and slid the ring out with little issue. Oh, it felt so good, she somehow felt lighter already.

Her hand took the ring and began to shake. It felt like trying to move through tar, through sludge and her hand moved so damned slow. Arya's forehead was beaded in sweat and her mouth went dry, her body ached and chilled.

With a whimper, Arya managed to drop the ring and she almost fell back. Sandor was there and his bulk let her rest against him for a moment as she caught her breath. Steadying herself, Arya stood tall and watched as the crowd and stage folk all leaned closer for a look at the ring.

 

Rather than give in to the anxiety, Arya began to look at the council, to see these folks that feel they are qualified to decide the ring's fate.

 

Balon Greyjoy sat upon his chair as if it were a throne and did not bother to lean forward at all. His craggy face remained uncaring and his eyes were an angry storm. This was Theon's father and all knew what had become of his youngest son. 

"I am here to see that this ring is truly going to be destroyed this time! It is pure evil and I will not have any of my people go near it! Why should we bear anymore of the evil? Unevenly spread, I would say! I watched the search for that ring turn my own brother into something...else. He sailed away after cutting out the tongues of all his men and taking out his own eye! He serves the dark voices and I swore then that the Greyjoys would never more touch such evil! Then my own blood that the North stole from me! My own youngest son was taken by that fucking ring and he serves the dark on his knees! My own last son is the weakest of the monsters, but he is an evil monster now. I will not risk anyone else!"

 

Olenna Tyrell rolled her eyes and gave a sharp smile.

"I think it is safe to assume after all this time that we would expect NOTHING of you as always. You are really more of an honorary position here, Balon. See it as a courtesy from your betters."

Cersei smirked and daintily sipped at her wine, her eyes narrowing in on the old woman.

"Speaking of that courtesy, Olenna, what are your thoughts?"

 

Before the old woman could fire back, the delight in her eyes diminishing with the interruption, Stannis spoke.

"I wish to take the ring in my hand. Or have my priestess at Dragon Stone do so. In fact, I would offer to take the ring, back home with me where my advisors and priestess can examine it, find out a way to-"

"Exploit it! We can all see right through you, Sir! You surround yourself with charlatans, a murderous cult and you wish to LOOK INTO the ring? If you wish so much to be with the enemy, just walk forth towards Dreadfort!" 

Kevan Lannister was half standing out of his seat now, his short clipped beard quivered angrily. He despises any type of religious group, none more than ones that are clearly cults. There is no doubt in his mind that Stannis is going to lead his cult straight into the enemy.

 

Before the two men could continue the arguing, Lysa opened her mouth to give her opinion. Several octaves higher than all others on the stage. She sat like a ruffled canary upon her seat and Robin was standing just behind her, staring at Arya.

"WHY DOES THE GIRL STILL HAVE TO BE HERE? SEND THESE RUFFIANS AWAY OR ARREST THEM FOR STEALING THE RING! OR FOR TRESPASSING! THERE MUST BE A STRONG WARRIOR WHO CAN BRING THE RING TO THE PIT OF HELL."

 

Cersei tried to regain the focus upon who might be willing to carry this ring back to where it was birthed to melt it. Arya watched as a circus began.

All agreed the ring was evil and must be destroyed. However, no one was willing to allow their relatives or people to volunteer to carry that ring.

 

They all began to discuss if there was any other possible way to destroy the ring, Arya heard the chuckle. From the ring, from somewhere in her head and it drove her crazy. Roose had warned her that they were leaders that would risk nothing but want everything.

 

Arya stepped forward and spoke clear and her words dropped like stones.

"I will take it! I will carry the ring and destroy it."

Lyanna shoved forward and hollered.

"I shall go with her!"

Each of Arya's group announced they were going.

 

Cersei seemed most upset over Sansa's volunteering.

"Do you think that is wise, dear? With your home in such dire straits? You could stay here safe with us? We can help you rebuild your land."

Arya pinched Sansa when the girl hesitated.

"No thank you. I am sorry for what has happened at home but my sister needs me. I must help her rid the world of this ring then we shall go help the North."

 

A clunking sound of metal and a woman in golden armor stiffly came forward.

"My name is Breinne. I would offer my services to protect you on such a dangerous and honorable quest."

Arya grinned up at the formidable woman and nodded. Sandor and Breinne sneered at each other but stood nearby. Sansa leaned closer to her little sister to whisper.

"Mother had hired her to guide me here and home when I was ready. She stayed even after no one could pay her anymore. I wouldn't accept her services anymore because I felt bad, but she stayed around, keeping an eye on me. You can trust her."

 

Tommen rushed forward and smiled brightly at Arya.

"I volunteer to aid you and protect you the whole way!"

Cersei looked as if she would faint for a moment then she shook her head as if the teenager were being silly.

"No dearest. You cannot go, you have no experience with magic or fighting, love. You are royalty, darling. If you wish an adventure we shall find you a much safer one."

"Mother, I have met both magic and fighting recently. I survived and will do so again. I am your youngest son, you have Joff. He shall rule, not me, his children after him, not me! So why keep me at home when I could go and do some good in this world? I am going with you, Arya."

 

"I SHALL GO TOO! ARYA, I WILL COME AND KEEP YOU SAFE, KEEP THE RING SAFE! I VOLUNTEER!"

All of them shuddered as one at Robin's screech as he burst out past his mother's voluminous skirts. Lysa began to launch herself at her son, screaming that it wasn't safe and that the girl was a bad person.

Arya had a terrible headache and the more she heard that phantom laughter, the worse her head got.


	17. The Martyr Circus

Arya prayed to go deaf. There is no voice like the voice of a mother when she feels her children are in danger. Cersei and Tommen at least kept their tones polite and at a tolerable decibel.

Lysa was not as restrained and her screeching startled birds out of trees and alcoves for miles. Robyn was just as loud in his passionate but lunatic responses.

Finally, Sandor's voice roared above all.

"I SAY THAT DERANGED BOY WILL NOT JOIN US."

 

Clearing her throat, Arya took advantage of the momentary stunned silence to awkwardly speak to Robyn.

"I'm sorry. Thank you very much for offering to help me. But your mother is right, the ring is very dangerous and there will be deadly monsters looking for us."

No look of appeasement from Lysa but a satisfied gleam instead as she held tightly to her squirming son. Cersei looked as if she expected to hear Arya deny Tommen. It didn't happen and Cersei clenched her jaw.

Tommen walked over to stand with the group and then another gleam of gold flashed as a very handsome man came forward.

 

He gave a meaningful look to Cersei then smiled charmingly at Arya.

Arya heard a deep sigh from Brienne, it was full of irritation but her eyes were more like Sansa's when she looked at a boy she liked.

"I would like to volunteer to both protect and support Arya but Tommen as well. And assist you in destroying that ring for good. My name is Jaime Lannister and though I can only offer one sword arm, I can assure you it a good one."

Sandor looked like he might vomit and Tommen groaned but Arya was stuck. On one hand, anymore adults and it really just feels like a bad field trip.

 

On the other hand, there really is danger and she isn't so arrogant that she can afford to say no.

"Thank you, Jaime. And Tommen. Brienne."

Lysa was dragging Robyn out of the room with the help of two servants that Cersei sent with a quick gesture.

"And that is that. You have your protectors. You have the ring and you have the weight of it. You have the duty and the strength to carry it out. May the-"

 

A small man appeared almost from behind Cersei's skirts. The look in her eyes at the sight of him made Arya wonder just how deadly Cersei might really be.

She would not have been shocked if the elegant woman reached down and snapped the dwarf's neck.

"You will not. As much as I want you gone, I want you on this quest even less. You would distract Jaime and only fill Tommen's head with your vileness. They have no need for you, at least here you have your books and safety. What would you have out there?" 

For one brief moment, Arya saw a flicker of pain in the man's eyes before he calmly spoke.

 

"I have knowledge of things out there they won't have. I will not ask for any assistance, if I fall behind, then I do. And as much as I appreciate your tender concerns and care for me through the years, dearest older sister, it is time for me to spread my wings. Jaime and Tommen will be safer with my mind along. Besides, it is more dangerous for me to remain here with you and Joff once my brother has left. I have you to thank for my bravery, Cersei! What is Roose Bolton or any of those creatures compared to my oldest sister and her spawn?"

 

The man looked over at Arya as he rapidly walked forward, ignoring his sister who was clenching her fists, snarling.

"My name is Tyrion Lannister. I can tell you the history everyone has forgotten. Evil woke up and all the creatures are back, but no one remembers more than bare legends. I can help guide you through which creatures are back and how to destroy them. I know how to speak most languages, forgotten ones. I am excellent at riddles, puzzles and companionship."

"Can you fight?"

Tyrion smiled up at Sandor's mocking question and replied.

"Not very well. But I know how to make most weapons. I know how to organize and plan so that the fighters win. Jaime has never once lost a fight and half of his best thoughts are actually mine."

 

Brienne scoffed and Jaime cleared his throat, lifting his chin in the air.

"Throw your one friend on the fire, why don't you?"

Grinning at Jaime's reaction, Arya nodded at Tyrion.

"As long as you can keep up, you are welcome, Tyrion. We need all the smarts we can get around here, at least according to Mr. Tarly."

 

Samwell was vigorously nodding. The adults whom he could speak with consisted of warriors and Sansa who was barely an adult at all. And her world was so very different, she was of a higher status.

The thought of having a learned man on the trip was a miracle for him. Another who wouldn't be able to fight but together they can find other ways to help this group. 

Cersei gave a smile like one who is in pain. As she spoke her eyes mostly landed upon Jaime and Tommen.

"This is your ring, your quest and your party of martyrs. And I do not use that word lightly. It is a good worthy cause but a perilous one. You can lose not only your lives but your souls in this task. May the Gods protect and guide you all."


	18. Gifts That No One Ever Wants To Need

 

The journey was about to begin and Arya didn't understand the points of all these rituals. After all were done packing, after the decisions of who would go were made, why wait?

Tyrion, Jaime and Sansa all had a hearty laugh at the disgruntled confusion of the rest of the group. They were given another meal this time full of speeches. And offerings of those that dare not journey with them.

Sandor and Brienne tried to explain the basic idea of it to the group.

"It's like...they feel bad for being cowards, so they are paying you to do their dirty work for them. It makes them feel better for it."

 

Tyrion leaned over.

"The speeches you can't ignore, we must be grateful for anything that is offered. We will need supplies and allies as well. See who offers what, who is the most generous. These people have far reach and their friends can be ours if needed. So try and pay a little attention. Try."

Balon had given four long canoes, carved with ancient runes, protected by the sea gods. Stannis gave them fire resistant cloaks and chaps as well as some basic supplies.

Both men did it with as ill grace as possible. Both gave a rant as opposed to a speech and there wasn't a speck of gratefulness in the words or actions.

 

However, Balon did directly look at Arya and harshly spoke, grief shining for one moment in his eyes.

"If you see what was...my son, you kill him. As merciful as you can, but you kill him. And if you have the misfortune to meet what was once my brother, you kill him too. But you take your time on him, girl."

Arya nodded and spoke gravely to the bitter, haunted man.

"I swear to you, I will get your justice for you. If I run across your son or your brother, I will fulfill your request."

 

Tyrion flinched and hissed into Arya's ear as he leaned in his seat.

"Be careful what you promise. They bind you know. And if you don't keep your promises, it can come back on you. This man prays to a very old and harsh god. And you just made an oath before witnesses."

Arya lifted her chin and gave another firm nod to Balon. The ring seemed to applaud her decision but stubbornness was as much Arya as her hair.

"I swear to kill your son fast with mercy and kill your brother slowly with a cold heart if I do run into them. Thank you for your boats, Sir."

 

Shireen coughed but Arya heard the word idiot clear enough. She heard Tyrion's agreement of that assessment as he cleared his throat. Arya ignored her burning ears as she watched Olenna stand up.

"My dear, I think you are utterly delightful! I am not going to bother blabbering nonsense at you. I am the only person here that will offer you something useful to hear. I am going to give you each some real advice."

 

Olenna pointed her cane at Shireen and narrowed her eyes.

"Watch your ambitions. Power comes at a great cost, at a great sacrifice. Who and what would you be willing to sacrifice for that power you seek? Don't become blind to everything but that power, Shireen."

 

The girl gulped in shock and Arya shivered at the warning of becoming blind. How did the old woman know about Shireen's fate? She wasn't told of what Arya had seen.

 

Olenna pointed at Tommen, Jaime and Brienne. Her voice seemed tinged with a terrible pity and her cane swept past them all as if in a compassionate wish.

"You three. Do not trust in easy fixes. Do not trust sweetened words or in the stupid belief that only the monsters would hurt you. Even those you love can turn on you now. Do not trust others to do the right or good thing."

 

The cane arched again and slowly it began to waver then stopped to point. Olenna arched her brow and smirked at Lyanna.

 "You are such a powerful warrior and a brave girl, a good friend. It might kill you. You will be tested by your friends, by that ring itself. You will be offered so much. There will come a time when you have to choose between a terrible choice and a worse one. Do not lose yourself, girl. Do not doubt your choices. Even if you make the wrong ones, do not stop, do not doubt. When your leader can not lead, you may have to."

Lyanna did not understand most of it but nodded and decided to mull upon it later.

 

The cane pointed at the teacher who was trying to discreetly continue eating while he had the chance to enjoy well prepared boar. Sam looked up startled and flinched at the sudden attention.

"Young man. You do not look at all like someone who should take such a dangerous journey. You belong teaching unruly students or telling kids to hush in a library. And yet, you are already sucked in and unable to retreat no matter how great your fears and reserves. You are going to suffer, you are going to jump into danger that you cannot fight. And through this, you will either do a great evil or a great good. Remember, the worse it gets for you, the better the chances for all. You will need to remember that, Samwell."

 

The cane moved onward and settled on Sandor.

"Watch out for fires. Do not panic else it will consume you. And remember that no matter how big or strong you may be, there is always one bigger and stronger. Try not to pick fights with giants."

Sandor glared at Olenna and crossed his arms, grumbling.

"That's all I get? Fire burns, don't panic or pick fights with those bigger than myself? How about wipe after I-"

 

Olenna snapped her fingers and Sandor suddenly had nothing to say though his startled eyes said volumes. The cane moved onward and landed upon the direction of Tyrion.

"Clever little fellow you are. Loyal like a whipped and abused pup to your family. You cannot let your brother protect you forever and you cannot protect your nephew. A small man can cast a large shadow, Tyrion. You can cast a great one if you try, but be very careful. Those who make themselves bigger, tend to be noticed and challenged. You'll need to be more than a shadow for a battle."

 

The cane stopped a final time at Arya.

"Ah, girl. I am giving you horses, supplies to eat and I do have advice for you. And you won't like any of it. That ring is going to eat you, bit by bit and Roose will try and turn you at every chance you give him. You need to listen to advice of your company and stop taking the advice of a shadowy man with a screaming chair. If you do not destroy that ring, it will most certainly destroy you. And it is going to destroy those around you, quicker than you will imagine. Watch that your stubbornness helps you and doesn't cause you terrible mistakes. It isn't only your life at stake now, Arya. It is your group, the world, every babe just born, is counting upon you. Don't fail us, girl. Destroy the ring. At any cost, Arya."

 

 

At first light, the group was ready to travel, at the river bank, admiring the lovely canoes. Cersei walked past them all as her servants made sure lanterns, torches and supplies were stocked in the boats.

Arya watched as the lovely woman whispered to Tommen before hugging him tightly. Then she did the same to twin brother Jaime, ignoring her youngest brother. 

 

Sansa and Sam both looked up in surprise as the two most handsome twins came before them. With a brilliant smile, Loras spoke as his sister handed something to each of them.

"Our grandmother has asked us to give you these. She said you must hide them, you will know when to use them. Good luck to both of you."

 

Sam and Sansa examined the plain gold rings in their hands. After a second the rings grew warmer, seeming to glow then words appeared and faded fast.

"Dupe rings that are enchanted mildly. It would be enough to fool a monster into thinking the rings were real at least briefly."

Without more than a word of thanks to the twins, Sam hid his ring in a pocket and wished Jon were here.

 

Sansa smiled warmly at the twins and let Loras help her into the canoe.

"Are you sure of this course of action, Sansa? It isn't too late, dear. I know we tricked you, but we could try and make a marriage work? You would be safe with me, I swear it."

Sansa's porcelain face grew harder and she grew icily reserved.

"Thank you but I am sure. My days of needed a protector, a prince or white knight are over. It is time I stood on my own for something important. Saving our world from a terrible evil, helping my sister defeat this evil seems an important enough cause. Tell your grandmother that I am grateful for her gift and her advice. I do not trust sweet words or things that seem like an easy path anymore, Loras."

 

Other gifts were given and as they all began to leave the safety of the civilized shore, they were examined.

 

It wasn't until after the canoes were no more than specks in Cersei's vision when some interesting news came to her ears.

Lysa was found wandering with blood dripping from a wound on her head.

Her beloved insane son Robyn was missing.


	19. Taking Directions From History

The canoes seemed to speed faster than possible through waters as if they knew the way on their own.

 

Lyanna fingered the lovely chain mail shirt that Cersei had handed her before they left shore.

"Wear this at all times, dear. You are a warrior now and warriors must have protection, armor. It is enchanted, it will serve you well."

 

Breinne and Jaime spent the time sniping at one another with Sandor occasionally joining in.

Sam frantically wrote a letter to Jon that he knew the man would probably never read or recieve.

 

Arya examined the lovely dagger that Cersei gave her.

"There are evil creatures beyond things like Ramsay Bolton. This dagger will glow if you are close to an evil presence. I hope it aids you."

 

Sansa ran her hands through the water and stared into it's depths.

Tommen kept trying to read Shireen's spell book and grabbing his eyes as the words kept twisting off the page.

 

Shireen sighed and wondered why Olenna had kissed her forehead.

The old woman had grabbed Shireen just before they left the castle and kissed her forehead with greasy lips.

"When you are going blind, you won't see it. But now you will feel it. It will burn and you will have a very small pocket of time even with that warning. Be careful, dear witch that wants to be a wizard. Power comes at a cost. Never forget it."

 

Tyrion was reading three different maps and trying to decide which had the most current date to it.

"I don't understand why they gave us such old maps."

 

Looking over at Jaime and smirking, Tyrion replied.

"These maps are from days of when evil creatures were powerful, like now. Newer maps won't include important little tips like where the creatures are. It might be nice for us to know what areas to avoid. I personally won't mind seeing a dragon or unicorn, but I draw the line at ogres, orcs and demons."

 

Sandor stared at the shield that Cersei had nearly thrown at him.

"It is enchanted. It is the size of my twin brother and you can use it to shield and protect my son and Arya. Use it."

 

 

As night fell and the canoes seemed content to float them along without any use of paddles, the group fell asleep.

 

None of them were awake to see the storm brewing above them.

Silent lightening sizzled and wind that did not touch them stirred the water into a tempest.

 

Sleeping deeply, not one of the travelers saw the canoes overwhelmed and forced to bank.

When they all awoke to a blushing new day, the canoes were mired in mud.

 

 

"Well, at least we are mostly to our original destination."

Tyrion and Sam tried to sound positive and cheerful as they examined the maps.

 

Sandor listened to Jaime and Brienne argue, then he told them both to fuck off.

He impatiently listened to Tyrion and Sam about which way they should go, the safest quickest routes.

 

Nodding, Sandor gruffly spoke to the whole group.

"From this moment onward we are going to be in danger. We must move fast and quietly when we can. The two quickest routes are both going to possibly lead us into fuckery. Over the hills are where the giants MIGHT still live but if we take the swamp lands, I KNOW damned well that fucking Reek thing loves to skulk there. And wherever Reek goes, Ramsay eventually follows."

 

"Hill giants it is then."

Arya announced and those who had already dealt with Reek and Ramsay agreed wholeheartedly.

 

Sam piped up with what he felt might be good news.

"No one has actually reported seeing a giant in a very, very long time. We don't know if all the creatures came back or if they are still in their old stomping grounds. The other thing, a good thing in a way....we will certainly hear and see them long before they can see us."

 

Tyrion tilted his head and looked at Sam's filthy boots.

"Tell me, Sam. How many bugs, little crawling insects, do you think you have squished from the canoe to here? I mean, a few feet and surely they all saw you and scurried out of your path in time?"

 

It was clear that Sam, Sansa and Tyrion were having difficulties with the hills.

However, not one of them asked for assistance, instead helping each other silently, stoically.

 

They were nearly out of sight of the others several times but they refused to stop or give up.

As the night wore on, Sandor dragged them forward, with only small breaks.

 

Finally, it was Arya who called the break, seeing how pale her sister was.

They all dropped eagerly to make camp.

 

A curious location, on top of one of the hills, a group of strange shaped boulders barely seen in the dark.

Tyrion's eyes narrowed and he commented that these were very large boulders, larger than one would expect upon this hill.

 

The fact that the odd shaped boulders actually was a live giant was discovered in an instant and horrific way.

A sudden ripping, deep quacking sound accompanied by loathsome hot moist wind that smelled like a gassy corpse assaulted them.

 

Gagging, gasping for air, they all tried to run as the boulders became huge buttocks and thighs that were moving.

They scattered as the earth moved and each found themselves crawling, scurrying like insects to get out of the way.

 

 

 


	20. Fancy Finger Foods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive the very late coming chapter. I promise that November will be the continuation of this story! ::grins::  
> And Happy Birthday to Malcolm!

They scattered like panicked insects, gagging and staggering as the ground rumbled, cracked under their feet. A grunt, a surprised sound came from above them and then a series of crashes and thuds.

Sam found himself next to Tyrion, burrowing deep just clawing forward, on their stomachs, deeper in the bushes, uncaring of harsh roots and thorns ripping up their skin. Lyanna had grabbed Arya's hand and they had leaped into a ravine, flattening themselves into the dirt. Jaime had scooped up Tommen like a bag of flour and ran into the woods.

When a real boulder came flying down at them from where it was dislodged by the giant's foot, it was Brienne who shoved the three of them out of the way. And they tumbled down a hill, out of control until they hit enough trees to stop both their inertia and their senses. 

Shireen, Sansa and Sandor found themselves for some reason unable to get out of range. One moment they were running, the next they were stuck in a terrible moist pink tent. "Oh no. He's cupping his hand over us." Sandor reacted to her statement by roaring and stabbing at the flesh. A loud cry and the hand went away, they fled only to find themselves knocked to the ground by another earthquake.

Sandor looked up, cursed and rolled with both girls just as the foot came down. They crawled fast out of sight into bushes towards the same ravine that hid Arya and Lyanna.

Sam and Tyrion stayed still, staring at each other and being as silent as any hiding insect. A huge rustle happened then a large hideous eyeball the size of Tyrion blinked in front of them and a deep voice, "Found you." Sam screamed like a terrified toddler and Tyrion for the first time in his life was speechless. They both tried to run but found themselves lifted into the air, caught in a trap of flesh. In panic, Tyrion bit the flesh and regretted it as he gagged on the terrible taste.

From their hiding spots, the others watched as the giant dug a deep hole with his finger and then stuck Sam in it. Another deep hole next to that to shove Tyrion into. Only their upper chests and heads were free of the clinging hard dirt and they looked up at the giant with some true panic. The creature smiled with rotted teeth down at his rare dinner of human flesh. Rubbing thick hands together it tilted its head as though trying to consider something.

Tyrion knew pleading and crying would mean nothing to this creature. However, the giant did seem able to speak and maybe there was hope of at least stalling the creature until his friends could find a way to help them.

"Excuse me? Sir? Uh, if you plan on eating us, I would like to know how I will be prepared? It's important to me. After all, if I am to be impressive, memorable, it has to be done right. You do understand that, don't you? That I would like the last dignities of being cooked correctly, you get that?" The giant blinked but then screwed up his face into another grin and nodded. "Aye. I get it. Cook ya nice! On a stick? Fire roast?"

Tyrion made as dramatic a look as possible.

"Fire roasted on a stick? Young Sir, I beg of you not to dishonor me in such a way! Do you not have any other method of cooking?" Sam has finally caught on and was calmer, nodding fast and speaking up. "I...I believe that is a pot behind you! Have any vegetables for a broth, a good simmering stew for me, please!" The giant hefted the pot and narrowed his eyes. "I only have some roots and potatoes. An onion or two. You want to wait until a good broth boils? Could take a lot of time. Easier to roast you."

"But not nearly as tasty. Be honest, how often does anyone wander by here? Hmm? When might be the next time you get to eat pure Tyrion or Sam? Make it a long good meal that you will remember. There isn't much of us, a roast and we are gone in three bites or so! But in a stew that has simmered, softening the vegetables, then having us simmer until the tender meat falls off our bones? Richer, better meal with extra for later perhaps."

The giant seemed to consider Tyrion's words. Sam threw out another desperate try to tilt the giant into the longer meal.

"You won't be bored while you wait for it all to boil. My friend here is a great storyteller and so am I. We can keep you entertained until you need to toss us in." The giant nodded and stood up, his knees cracking like trees. "Like stories. Get water. Hear stories, good meal. Aye, good catch for me!" They watched as the giant thundered off for water and then stared at each other.

"Great. So we will boil to death instead of burn up. And we have to be entertaining until we are cooked. I really, really hope the others hurry!"

As soon as the giant moved away and they could move without falling, all headed for Sam and Tyrion. Shireen, Sansa and Sandor got there first and started to try and dig them out. Even with the help of Jaime and Brienne, the two men were truly stuck deep in the packed earth. "Hurry, he's going to be back any second!" Arya urged as she tried to figure out a way to somehow fight off this giant. Nothing they could do would really do more than wound it slightly.

They heard the snapping of trees as it came back swinging its full pot of water.

They all scattered, trying to climb into the nest the giant has created for himself. As the giant settled down, he set up a roaring fire that sent sparks into the night and he put the pot of water over it. Clearing his throat, Tyrion started asking the giant what his favorite kind of stories were. Using a dull paring knife, the giant started to cut  his vegetables to toss into the water as he thought about it. "Stories with skeletons, pretty girls and war."

Sam rolled his eyes and sighed. "What a unique kind of story that would have to be." Tyrion gave a dirty look to Sam but luckily the giant did not seem to get sarcasm.

By the time the cut up vegetables were in the rapidly heating water, Tyrion had finished his tale.

The giant clapped and looked at Sam. "That was a really good story. Can you do better? We have some time before it boils. Tell me a good story! Add more moldy skeletons to this one!" With a long suffering look at Tyrion, Sam began a very fictional story of a very real war. Exchanging prisoners for rampaging moldy skeletons seemed to please the giant. His story was quite grand but the water was starting to bubble and they were running out of time.

Sam was coming to a rather glorious ending to a story that was so good, he felt rather bad he would never get to write and publish it. He was truly rolling and the giant was utterly lost in the fantasy of it. Tyrion was breathless, hanging on every word as it was a great story. However, he was even more interested in the suspense of watching his friends carefully climbing up the giant vest.


	21. Simple Milk Fed Boy

Robin was filthy, he was scratched and bloodied and dirty and stinky. His mother will be very upset when she sees his condition, oh yes, she will. It will be the BIG TROUBLE for him then. He only got in the BIG TROUBLE once before. Robin is smart and clever like his mother says and he knows that running away and getting filthy on purpose would be BIG TROUBLE.

_The last time he was in BIG TROUBLE was the maid. A common servant that was breastfeeding a swaddled baby as she washed the dishes from Robin's dinner. He had wanted more sweets and crept into the kitchen to steal tarts from the tray. Robin had lost his urge for the leftover sweets as he watched those swollen, milk filled breasts. They were bigger than his mother's, so much larger and had so much milk._

_He exploded in rage, how dare this infant steal all that warm milk for his greedy little self? How dare this useless common woman keep those breasts to herself and that little pink worm? Robin had thrown the baby hard onto the stones, dashing it's tiny head in. The woman had screamed, falling to her knees, screaming and screaming. Robin had thrown himself into those breasts, he grabbed both at the same time and sucked hard. He drank and drank while the woman screamed._

_Mother had been so very angry then. It was the BIG TROUBLE as his mother pushed the screaming milk breasted woman off the mountains. Robin sobbed as he watched the delicious milk get smaller and then gone. He went from sobbing to screeching as his mother spanked his hands and his buttocks until they were red hot, swollen. Mother locked him in his chambers for a week and didn't let him nurse on her once!_

_All the serving women were informed that anyone nursing must not work or be within the castle grounds until she is dry again. Robin never again got in that kind of trouble again._

Until now.

Robin already has felt the effects of being without his mother's milk. But he NEEDED to go after the girl, even if it meant BIG TROUBLE with mother later. He ran, crawled, climbed and ran until he would fall down, unable to move anymore. Then he would burrow deep into a bush or curl about a tree, letting bugs, dirt and leaves cover him. Opening his mouth wide, he would suck his whole hand into his mouth and suck vigorously. He would do this until his jaws ached terribly and his hand was purple, soggy and wrinkled up.

Falling asleep this way, his jaw would slacken and the hand would fall out with a plop. The tall thin man would talk then, his words echoing through the whistling mad empty forest of Robin's skull. A whisper voice that spoke of how Arya and the ring are more important than mother's milk. That he will be protected from BAD TROUBLE with mother as long as he did what he was told to do. _Stalk them, watch them, show me what you find and when the time is right, when the chance is there, if it comes, try and get the ring._

_Robin didn't care about the ring, he didn't like jewelry. What Robin cared about was what the tall man with no features promised, if he helped him. The dream man has been showing him what he could have for years now. A girl, an angry stubborn not pretty as Sansa girl with a ring. Then he is shown what she looks like after Robin takes the ring away. He sees the same eyes, the same not as pretty as Sansa girl but it is different now._

_She has a new ring, Robin's seal and she is empty eyed. Soft, swollen breasts on the body that only moved like a doll did. Robin could drink and drink and the dream man promised he could make her never run out of milk. He could touch her anywhere, even poke her large empty eyes, Robin could suck her breasts and have enough milk forever!_

_It would be her punishment and his reward from the dream man!_

 

So Robin ignored his suffering and crept until he found them. Robin nearly gibbered in glee and his grubby, blood clotted knees splattered with drool as he curled up nearby, peeking from under thorn bushes. Two grubby hands shoved deep into his mouth to suck hard upon, Robin couldn't risk making any noises. He would simply watch the fight with the huge giant and see who is left.

Robin kept his eyes pinned upon Arya as she was climbing up the giant's vest in the distance. She looked like an ant scaling a picnicker and he tried not to laugh. He hoped that the dream man was keeping her safe as he kept Robin safe. How was he to get the ring or her breasts if Arya was squished or eaten?

Brave little ants on a giant's shoulders. He tried to giggle-choke as he watched them all attack the giant's ugly head and face. One ran up each nostril, one in each ear then one into each glistening eyeball. The giant went crazy, swatting at his head and stumbled about on his knees, roaring. It's backside accidentally went into the fire, one thunderous cheek knocked into the pot, knocking hot water all over the giant.

It was angry and hurt, running for the cooler river stream nearby to put out it's smoldering backside, to soothe it's boiling back and thighs. Robin had made himself tiny and buried enough that the earthquake didn't scare him. He wasn't anywhere in the pathway of the giant but he did make himself smaller just in case until it was gone. Robin peeked up and watched as Tyrion and Sam were being dug out. He was happy to see that Arya was staggering around with the others.

They were more disgusting than his own dirty self now. The short man and fat man were blackened with earth. The large man and some tomboy girl were covered in brown waxy stuff that made them gag. The golden hand and warrior lady were covered in green that made them look like crying. Arya and the witch girl were layered in a jelly substance that kept causing them to shudder. Poor Tommen kept trying to clean the group off and Robin paid closer attention to the boy.

His eyes narrowed and he wondered. The dream man told him that the weakest can be picked off first. Or used to lure the ring. Tommen was the weakest, the dumbest and the kindest. Robin drooled over his sucked upon hands and watched as Tommen continued his useless quest with a rag. He watched as they all started to run, away from the river that could clean them since the giant is there. Robin was scrambling to his feet to follow them and he heard the thunder, the ground shook.

Going back into his little burrow, Robin watched the very angry giant begin to give chase. Then the most amazing thing happened.

Robin popped his head out and stared, wishing he dared to go closer. The dream man had told him to stay hidden but such a sight! He managed to wait, just watching breathless and in awe. Shards of sunlight had begun to stab through the deep forest trees and it spread through the clearing. The giant's foot had been about to stomp down, squishing Robin's dreams forever. The sunlight had touched the giant and it made a horrible grunting sound then froze. It leeched of all color, it turned from flesh to stone in the blink of an eye.

A gigantic foot was hovering over the ground, Arya, Tyrion, Sam and Shireen just beneath it. They were all breathing heavily, the stone of the bottom of the foot just barely touching their backs as they lay upon the dirt. Robin laughed into his fists as the others pulled the traumatized travelers out from under the giant foot and forced them to keep running. He waited until they were all gone, even the cursing Tyrion and the bellowing mocking laughter of the larger ones.

Robin stayed around long enough to admire the stone giant then chased after the ring and milk full breasts.


	22. Looking Without Seeing

With another yelp, Tyrion smacked his own face and snarled out, "What do these bugs eat when they can't get dwarf?" Sandor rolled his eyes and Brienne gave a small disapproving sigh. "We shouldn't be in the swamps. Even if we don't want to risk hill giants, you couldn't have picked a worse direction."

Snorting, Sandor began the same argument that has been happening for a good two days.

"Oh, where else should we have gone? Want to see if another giant can eat us or maybe stagger through the woods? You know, where reports of both trees and orcs are killing each other? Want to join into that mess? Or should I drag them over the mountains and take a year to reach our destination?"

Jaime got between the two. "Tyrion and Tommen would never make it safely over the mountains. Better the swamps and caves. Not much further anyway. This way is the quickest actually. So stop complaining, we are already almost there, not turning back now. So let's just be peaceful and keep moving."

This caused rumblings but they continued moving. Fog settled in and a silver mist obscured their vision as they walked forward.

Arya sighed and shivered as they slogged forward towards some cave. It will be damp, cold, dreary and dark but at least it won't have stinging bugs and stinking marsh.

 

Sam, ever the teacher, decided to use this time to have an impromptu lesson upon nature.

"Children, as we are going through this bog let us take some time to think upon its flora and fauna, please. Tommen, you will start."

Within moments all the kids were twice as unhappy but were searching and pointing out things dully to their teacher. Even Tyrion joined in and he helped Shireen determine this area would have some great ingredients for both spells and study.

As the other kids started to become more involved, Arya started to scan the water where she was. Hoping to see something like a huge swamp toad to throw at Lyanna, she got a start seeing her dead family waving at her from below.

They were all there but for Sansa. Her mother, father and brothers, with pale bloated faces, clouded eyes and their wounds were open raw grayish meat. Bran spoke in  a sad and condemning voice.

"We are all dead. You have caused our deaths with your spying, your stealing, your pride in holding that ring. It was metal, shiny metal that became more important than your family. Sansa will die because of you. All of them will die because of you. See?"

Arya did see as the tears fell down her cheeks and she shuddered. In the water she could see Sansa and the rest of her party all floating dead things. Even though she can hear their chatter, she sees they are dead and knows it is true. If they all continued with her they might die. Dead mother spoke in a haunting cold tone.

"No, child. They will all die, not might, they will die if they try and follow your path. And if you continue your journey, this is what shall happen. Stop now before they are all dead."

She can now see the water is nothing more than a graveyard. Lovely Cersei floating next to Joff, the Tyrell twins and Olenna, her crazy aunt and utterly bonkers cousin, everyone she has ever met was dead. It was so heavy, the burden, the grief and Arya knew she had to die.

If she drowned herself now then none of the dead would happen. It won't bring back her family but it will save others, countless others. Her bloated father seemed to agree with this in her head.

Arya allowed herself to fall into the water, hoping to land in her family's cold embrace.

 

She screamed in rage when hands forced her back up out of the dark cold water. "Let me go! I need to be with my family! I need to die and save you all!"

A sharp pain lanced across her face and Arya stared at Sansa in shock. "Did...did you just slap me?" The entire silent group nodded as one and Sandor muttered, "One hell of a good whack, too. That's gonna leave a mark. Nice work, girl.'"

Sansa shook her hard until Arya's teeth rattled.

"You are damned right that I slapped you! You want to be with your family? I am your family! And everyone here risking their life for us is our family now! How dare you try and desert your family that way? This stupid ring, the stupid magic...I refuse to allow you to give in to it! Do you hear me? Now stand up and walk like a real person, would you?" 

Standing there with her mouth dropped open, Arya watched as Sansa marched off, snapping at the warriors, "The show is over, please lead us forth now. We are trying to find a cave with a door. No more lessons, just walking. Now."  

Brienne gave an approving smile and nod to Sansa and they all moved onward. Lyanna grabbed one of Arya's arms and Shireen took the other. "Just in case. No more diving for you." 

 

It was nightfall when they finally saw the enormous cave upon the shifting damp mud floor. Another hour was lost searching for the doors. The moonlight cut through the fog and a doorway, a glowing arch was suddenly too bright to miss. Cheering, they all went forward to stare at the immense marble doors.

"Uh, anyone see a knocker? Or a bell string to pull?" Sam spoke in a hush but Tyrion groaned and then hollered, "SALUTATIONS! IS ANYONE INSIDE THAT CAN PERHAPS OPEN THE DOOR?"

Jaime whacked Tyrion and hissed for him to act like an adult. The others studied the doors with no handles or knockers. Shireen tilted her head and studied the designs upon the door. She sat on a large rock and pulled out a book, scanning it. "Perhaps there is a spell here that can help us open it."

Sighing, Tyrion and Sam walked over to the doors and studied the ancient runes and symbols. They started an in depth discussion on whether there was a riddle or pun to be solved through the carvings. The others milled or sat to empty their boots of mud, water and leeches.

After the moon began to wane, Sandor lost his patience. Swearing, cursing, he began to kick and punch at the doors, needing to beat on something to think clearly again. He sent a boot crashing into the doors near their center. They all watched in numb silence as the doors slowly opened inward into blackness.

Jaime shut his eyes, strove for patience then spoke in a very strained soft voice. "All this time...all we had to do was push hard on the doors?" Brienne snarled out, "Not another word. Just...don't." They all followed Sandor into the cave and held tightly to their freshly lit torches.


	23. Greedy Creatures

"Well, it is cold, damp, quite dark, I observe spiders the size of my boot and toads with glowing eyes that look very hungry." Tyrion smiled at Samwell and boomed out, "Yes! But still better than the swamps with it's tiny insects eating me slowly. At least I stand a chance against spiders and toads."

Sandor spun around and growled out, "Why don't you two yell just a little fucking louder? We want to make sure that anything that might wish to eat us knows where we are." Arya giggled and held her torch high to see empty stone halls. After a few silent halls they saw a gentle golden glow ahead. Sandor, Brienne and Jaime went ahead of the others, swords drawn, ready to fight.

Arya watched as the three peered into the room and then they seemed to forget why they were holding swords. They lowered their weapons and slowly entered the room. Lyanna shoved Arya behind her before heading forward. The girl's eyes went round and she headed into the room. The others followed and Sam stood in the doorway, swaying.

He managed to clear his dry throat and say, "Greed. It is a downfall. We shouldn't be in here, we shouldn't touch anything. Let's go. We can't..."

Sam gasped as he stared at priceless books, golden gilded books that have been long thought destroyed. He staggered into the room and fell before the priceless lost knowledge as others wandered through the mountain of treasures. Each of them have found something to want to touch, to just look at or maybe take away.

Arya's voice rang out. "It's like the ring. It's tempting us on purpose. Do not take anything. Don't..."

Shireen clasped her hands tightly together and looked away from mystical scrolls that could give her power over nature itself.

"Arya is right. I can feel the magic in this room, it's so powerful that it chokes me. Everything here is enchanted, don't touch it. It's bait, a trap...let's all leave right now. Please, hurry."

"Whoops." They all looked in horror at Tommen who had picked up a gold crown and placed it upon his head. "I will put it down, no harm done. Right?"

"Wrong. Very wrong, dear boy. Greedy little thieving boy. I smell royalty on you, child, so why would you wish to steal MY crown? Cannot wait until your turn in line or afraid to kill your sibling and mother to reach your throne?"

 

The man was handsome and wrong in some terrible yet beautiful sort of way. His eyes were violet, they were burning with anger, with possessive obsessive greed, long silver white hair adorned him like a silken cloak. His skin was too taut, his bones seemed sculpted, his jaw too long, teeth too sharp, his body too lithe, too tall and the movements were careful, practiced. 

When the man spoke, his voice seemed to whip and crackle through them and something nameless about him unsettled them all.

"No matter where I go, how hard I hide, thieves always find their way to my treasures. Could you not make your own fortunes, lazy, greedy creatures?"

Tyrion bravely stepped forward and tried his best diplomatic smile.

"Please, forgive us, Sir. We were simply traveling through the cave and we came upon the room. My deepest apologies for disturbing you and your treasure. I assure you that we have taken nothing, that we were rude to touch your property but we had no intentions of stealing your treasures. We will trouble you no further, Sir. Let me offer you some gold coins I have for our terrible intrusion upon your privacy."

With a smile that for a mere second seemed to smoke and crackle, the man leaned forward at an impossible angel. His shadow grew large and wings spread along the shadows in the impossibly large cavern room.

Shireen gave a tiny moan and whispered, "Dragon. He's a dragon in human form. Coins aren't going to do it." 

In spite of the whisper, the violet eyes turned to peer down upon Shireen and the smile turned into an amused smirk.

"A little witch. Yes, I am a dragon and no, coins will not do. My name is Viserys, the last of the Targaryen dragons. I have shown you the courtesy of a human form, I try to be polite. Now, tiny half man, you are less than a snack for me in my full form. So offering me a few paltry gold coins in exchange for daring to fondle and dream over my treasures will only insult me. I can simply eat all of you and be done with it. Let me see each of you and show me everything you each have. I will decide if you all have enough suitable payment for my troubles or if I shall have a rare dinner of travelers."

 

Sansa pulled Arya behind her and the others lined up. Tyrion tried again, spreading out his arms.

"We shall leave you all the treasures we can. We only need our few weapons and supplies. Quick, Tommen and Sansa, all the jewelry you have on you. Hurry, anyone without anything they must carry, hand it over."

Chuckling, small threads of smoke coming from his sneering mouth, Viserys shook his head.

"No. I know you will hide your greatest treasures from me. I know and understand greed, you cannot hide your treasures from me. I can already sense them, the good ones. Let me tell you what I want, I will make it easy. Give me everything, down to your very small-clothes. Then you may leave with nothing but your hair and flesh and feel grateful that I have allowed that much."

Sandor, Brienne and Jaime pulled out their swords, Lyanna notched an arrow and Shireen began to chant. Tommen and Sam grabbed Arya, dragging her towards the hallway with Tyrion right behind them. A blinding flash of light, a rush of heat and they all fell flat as flame enveloped the doorway right over their heads.

"Try to leave this room and I will reduce you to ash. Then again, I am thinking to do that anyway considering how rude you've shown yourselves to be. Terrible greedy creatures, I tried to offer you mercy and let you leave with your lives! Very well, if you are going to be impolite in my home than I shall remove my formal wear and let my real self out."

They all watched as the man elongated, as he grew scales, talons, wings and a long snout full of fiery smoke with teeth the size of Tyrion's body.

 

Jaime screamed for them to hide, to scatter and they all finally moved. Avoiding the exit, they all dove to hide among the heaps of treasure.

Arya watched as Sandor pressed against a broken chest, shaking and sweating. The fear in his eyes made her try and touch his arm. Sandor yanked away and muttered, "I can't. I'm sorry...I can't, not fire, not a fucking dragon. I didn't keep a giant from eating me so I could be roasted and eaten by a fucking dragon." 

"Hiding won't do you any good. Not a bit, I know every inch of my home quite well. If you wish to fight, that is perfectly wonderful, I haven't had a good challenge in years. I doubt I will get one now but I do strive to make others feel comfortable. Now, I sense some very interesting treasures that you have stolen, are running away with. Why? Tell me and give them to me and maybe I won't eat all of you. Just a few of you."

 


	24. Golden Folly

Lynna and Shireen threw Arya hard onto a pile of gold. Arya went to protest when Lyanna seemed to climb her then grab her face with both hands. "No shut up. Listen to me, Arya! You have to put that ring on, use it to run out of the room! If that dragon gets this ring...you have to do it!" Shaking her head, Arya blurted out, "I can't! Last time I put the ring on, I went away to HIM! I can't do that and see my way out of the room!"

Shireen leaned over into Arya's face with a grim resolution. "He somehow has gotten you through the ring, he has wrapped himself around you like a snake. But I have a spell, it will let you concentrate through his magic. You will be here and you won't, but you will see enough to leave! You have to, Arya! We will find our way out afterwards, but you and that ring have to go! Please!"

Jamie had ordered that everyone keep talking, yelling, then moving fast before the dragon could concentrate. He also ordered Shireen to find a spell to distract or hurt it long enough for escape or attack. Shireen hurried to trace her fingers upon Arya's head, some oil left behind in a pattern that made no sense to Arya. She felt no different except for the strange greasy feel upon her forehead. "I have to go find a spell against dragons. Put on the ring and leave, now." 

Shireen started frantically flipping through the book, while everyone seemed to play a game of taunt and leap. Lyanna grabbed Arya's face, she was frantic and squeezed too hard. "Damn you! You DO NOT get to drag me through all of this hell without even CONSULTING me on your situation the whole damned time! Just to burn to death, get eaten by a dragon who then gets the damned ring? NO, MY FRIEND, NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND PUT ON THE RING!"

Arya stared at Lyanna stunned then nodded slightly. "What about you and the others?" Before Lyanna could answer, Tommen yelled over, "Don't worry, Arya! The adults will save us! That's how it works." Sighing, Lyanna closed her eyes then opened them, releasing Arya from her grip. "Don't worry about us, we are smarter than a dragon who's been stuck in here for who knows how long. Go, that ring has to make it no matter what, so go."

With a wince, afraid of finding herself taking another visit with Roose and a screaming wooden chair, Arya slid the ring on her finger. Things shifted, she shifted and everything was different but the same. No one saw her, even as she crawled up piles of treasures, causing small landslides. Twice the dragon went after sounds that she made but it never found her.

Arya ran out of the doorway and fell against the rock wall. Seeing things with strange eyes staring at her, she bit back a scream and ripped off the ring. The hallway remained the same but without crawling things and Arya shuddered. Then started praying for her friends.

 

 

 They all leaped and kept yelling but they were wearing down. Jaime glared at Shireen who was finally settling upon a page as Arya disappeared. Suddenly, the dragon had paused and sniffed deeply. "Magic, strong ancient magic, I sense it. Who is doing that, is it you, little witch? Did you manage to read one of my old scrolls, you dirty tiny thief? What is it, who is it? It's mine, give it back!" Shireen hollered, "Make me!" Then dove when fire came crackling around her briefly.

Then Brienne and Jaime had both popped up in opposite directions, waving and insulting. The dragon whipped his tail at the insulting female and tried to burn Jaime, failing at both but barely.

Jaime rolled past Shireen and growled out, "Do you have something or not? We can't do this much longer! Look at Tyrion and Sam, they are just laying there, panting! Sandor is curled into a ball of fright, we are doomed! Breinne and I can't kill a dragon, we aren't dragon slayers! Hurry the hell up, please!"

"Don't pressure me, it doesn't help and I need to focus. I found a spell, you need to distract him until I finish it. When the spell works, one by one everyone needs to leave. It won't last very long and I will be too tired and drained to make anymore spells today." Jaime stared at the girl then nodded. "Great, that's great. Half of that plan sucks. Like not being able to be useful for the rest of the day. And it's real short but we have to leave one by one. Great. Okay. I have no better plan, go for it."

Tyrion would holler and then Sam would toss him as needed. Sam would holler to the dragon then Tyrion would roll him. Tommen was having great fun, a grin on his face as he ran about and hollered. Lyanna would sneak around different angles, yell then slide away. Jaime and Brienne aggressively taunted and jumped about while Sandor froze in fear. Shireen hid near Sandor and started to whisper the needed chant as her hands made symbols in the air.

The dragon was furious and whipping about trying to catch these terrible rude beasts to eat them. "Ah, magic again! A different taste to it, less powerful, less old. Not something that can hurt me, silly witch! You are very bad at this, perhaps I am doing a service by eating you!" Shireen threw her head back and made a guttural noise as her palms came forth, propelled by stiff arms. A blast of white, pure painful merciless white that made all squint but hit the dragon in the eyes and snout.

Shireen hollered out, "It won't hurt you, but it will stop all your senses for a few minutes."

Without moving or taking her gaze off the beam of light hitting the shrieking, angry dragon, Shireen commanded, "Sandor, run out now."

Without word or hesitation, Sandor staggered to his feet and ran as fast as he could out of the door. He nearly ran over Arya then slammed flat against he wall and slid down it to sit next to the girl. "Not a word. Not a fucking word." Arya wisely kept quiet. Next came Tommen followed by Tyrion and Sam after him. Lyanna rushed out next and they all waited to see who came next.

No one came next as Shireen collapsed, exhausted. 

 

The dragon shook his head fiercely, snorting, grunting and then a large sneeze and a shiver that ran though it's massive, muscular frame.

"That was a very rude, nasty little trick. And what did it get you? A bit of my snack got away? I will hunt them down after I eat the rest of you. Let us see...a little witch, a nice big warrior woman, tasty...and a golden man. Oh, I love that golden arm and all that armor. You there, take off the arm and strip. I will let you leave and keep all that is yours. No? Ah, you cannot abandon your friends, how very touching that is. Let me help you keep your gold on you forever then."

Jaime leaped but this time his aim was just not far enough, he was weighed down by the armor and he was tired. Brienne screamed in agony for her friend, yet grabbed Shireen and ran out the door. They could hear him scream as the gold upon him began to melt turning him into a dreadful golden statue.

The others had gotten to their feet and watched in horror. Tommen screamed for his uncle and tried to run forward but Lyanna caught him. Tyrion gave a dreadful gasp and tears spilled. Sandor yelled at them all to run and they did, deeper into the hallways. They heard crashing, crushing and the terrible sound of a dragon coming after them. 


	25. Blazing For A Moment

As they all ran, Sandor in the lead, heading for the way out of the mines, scurrying up stairs that no one that ever saw the day of light made. Higher, deeper into the mountain but it wasn't going to make any difference.  The dragon was coming fast, roaring flames, they could hear the crashing as stone broke, as columns fell, blocking tunnels forever.

Tyrion and Sam were just too slow and they knew it but the heavyset teacher dragged them both forward, refusing to give up and be eaten by a dragon. They all pulled the slower ones onto a new balcony. Sandor huffed and shook his head.

"We won't all make it, it's just not possible. We have no real defense against the dragon, we can just hope that Arya can outrun the damned thing! That ring, kid, you have to use it again. That dragon just has to not see you and while he is enjoying a repast of tired travelers, you can get that cursed fucking ring out of here."

"No, there has to be another way. Every time I use this ring, Roose sees me, he sees us and knows how to reach us! He is going to send that Ramsay thing after us again! And I won't watch all of you die just to get a piece of damned jewelery out of here! If you die, I die with you and so does the ring. Won't it melt in the dragon flames?"

Shireen grabbed her forehead, that damned spell Olenna had left was burning, searing, burning.

"No. The dragon will sense the power of it and take it from you. Do you think it's a great idea to let a greedy power hungry dragon control the ring? Do you think things will be better if the dragon ends up controlled by Roose and the ring? You can't fail this mission, Arya. I know, he sees you and yes, he will send his creatures. They probably are already crawling all over this mountain. Arya, put the thing on long enough to get out of here and whomever gets out with you can distract any enemies so you can run. You have to, you just have to! It's time for some of us to do what we must, the same as you. Lyanna, get her out of here."

Shireen watched as the others started to bundle the arguing girl off and she noticed that Tyrion was just standing there, smiling sadly.

"We both know I can't make it any further and be of good use. But I can be of use here...with you. Are you sure you want do stay and help distract the dragon, Shireen? You can still run, you know, there is just enough time to get out, perhaps?"

Shaking her head and returning the same doomed smile, Shireen replied, "No. I'm too tired to make it any further. I have no energy or magic left. Just whatever tricks you have up your sleeve that I see brewing in your head."

The dragon was crashing, smashing and near enough that they both fell down onto the stone bridge they had been walking on.

"I guess our last stand is going to be right here. Goodie, we get a choice then. We can die fire roasted and devoured or splatter to the cave floor below us. At least we have options?"

Tyrion's joke was lost on Shireen, who was listening to a voice that made the burn of her forehead increase. It was a soft whispered voice, it was one that Shireen was sure that Arya knew quite well.

"No need for death, little witch. We want the same thing, Shireen. I do not wish the ring in the dragon's grasp. I will give you what you need to cast a spell, one you've never been able to grasp. One that even Olenna cannot perform. Save the ring, the world, the friends you have made, save yourself and the dwarf. All you must do is remove that charm the second rate witch gave you and I can help you, dear girl."

Tyrion stared at Shireen in alarm as she started to speak to someone clearly not there.

"Thank you for the offer, Sir. However, I am not stupid, I know what you want in return, I have been forewarned of you. I will not spend my life shackled to your spells, eyes burning, mind burning, screaming eternally as my power drains into you and your creations. I would rather die by the dragon's fire, along with my friend."

Shireen looked at Tyrion who was pulling out something.

"What's your idea? I hope its good because Roose is offering a spell to end the dragon and save us all."

Tyrion shrugged. "I stole the flash powder that Tommen and Lyanna had. I figured I would use it to distract the dragon into thinking I had a spell. It would pause him at least for a few seconds, just enough to give Arya and the others an extra minute to run."

Shireen groaned and started to clutch at the intense burning on her forehead. The voice was back, more insistent.

"No! Stop! I cannot take your deal, I know what will happen if I do."

"Very well, give me another deal that works better for you. Best hurry, little witch, that dragon is almost upon you. It won't take him long to kill you and the little man. He will break through the mountain and be on Arya, on all of them in moments."

Shireen paced quickly while she thought fast and Tyrion readied his pathetic trick as the dragon's shadow came forth and swallowed them both.

"I offer you my death in exchange for one spell to defeat this dragon. Not my life to be chained by your torture."

"Why would your death be a worthy exchange? You are no formidable foe, I have no need for your corpse. Offer to work for me, to join me and I'll help you, I will let you taste power that you could never otherwise achieve."

Shireen had only this one small moment of time to choose and after hugging Tyrion tightly, a small whisper of support and goodbye as she chose.

"Very well. The spell in exchange for me working for only you, my loyalty will be to your cause."

The very second she wiped the charm away, Shireen was filled with another's power and it was dreadful, wonderful and she burned in ecstasy from it. With a terrible roar, the golden dragon filled the room and the large eyes landed upon Shireen and Tyrion with triumph.

The dragon's eyes widened in alarm as Shireen was suddenly taller, brighter and surrounded by crimson phantom flames. Words came from her mouth that were not ones that Shireen has ever uttered before. A horrific scream came from the dragon as Shireen raised her arms and then pointed at Viserys.

Red flames seemed to spread from Shireen to her hands and to the dragon. As the magnificent beast writhed in ghostly flames and started to die, Shireen looked at Tyrion and nodded. With a yell of dread, Tyrion shoved his dagger hard into Shireen's heart, twisting it. For the first and last time, he heard Roose's awful voice yelling in anger, in tricked fury.

Before Tyrion could react to that ghostly voice, the dying dragon's tail smashed into the bridge and Tyrion splattered next to Shireen's lifeless body on the ground below. 


	26. Raven In The Trees

The large black raven soared like a streaking shadow, like a fast moving secret and his black eyes saw everything. From high above, everything was lovely, everything was beautiful. Even the ravaged areas, the lakes of fire, hordes of creatures and undead swarming, camping, it was still beautiful with a wild horrid grace of its own. The raven didn't venture close to the areas that are under the control of Bolton, he knows better than that.

He soared past the snowy freezing ice lands that were being overtaken by the dead risen again. A white ice dragon was threatening a huge wall made of ice, snow and blood magic. Swooping out of the range of the dragon, the raven briefly rested upon the wall. He fluffed out his feathers and watched as Jon Snow was evacuating as many men as he could before the dragon could strike with a lightening flame.  

As soon as the electric blue sparks began to emit from the dragon's mouth, the raven took off again. He didn't stay to see who survived the destruction, there was no point in it. At least not right now and he flew onwards.

He saw restless trees moving too slow for the human eye and too fast for other creatures to avoid. The raven enjoyed preening in the warmer weather as he headed into more refined, sunnier areas. Here the woods were tamed and lulled into a gentler form of slavery to serve as homes and gardens for the Lannisters.

The raven pecked at a grain of seed upon a birdbath. He twitched and felt the nervousness of the flowers, grass, plants and trees. Something was coming, something was here and something worse to be. It was growing, it was seeping slowly into the vines, rotting them, blackening everything inch by inch. A rotting thing was creeping in and infecting the hard won calm grace of this place. 

A quick flutter of his wings and he perched upon a railing high upon an outside hallway of the royal castle. That boy, that golden boy, it was in his eyes, his sneer, every angle of his sharp little face. The boy was coming towards the raven, whispering to himself and it was clear he was hearing voices, something was driving him mad. As soon as the boy saw the raven, he started to inch forwards, his hands reaching, his voice cooing and he flew away fast.

Circling the building, the trees, the raven landed on the window to a tea room. A lovely but deeply troubled lady was sitting with a much older woman. "Why have you bothered to return here, Olenna?"

"I know you felt it too. You are feeling it now. Magic might not be your main talent, my dear, but you do have it rushing through your veins and I know you feel it. This whole place feels infected, you are already grieving and you don't even know the reason why. Take a walk to the garden with me, Cersei. Let us look together so we can rid ourselves of this haunting feeling. Once we know, we can deal with it, whatever measures that we must take."

The elegant royal woman gave a look to the old witch that was both heartrendingly grief stricken and yet full of a cold bitter anger.

"I don't wish to do that. Whatever happens out of this place is not my concern. Not the concern of the Lannisters or the concern of my citizens. This will remain a safe and neutral place. Take your warmongering and your damned country charms elsewhere, Olenna. I should throw you and your charlatan grandchildren into the dungeons. Get out before I do so."

Olenna peered closer at the woman and nodded heavily. "You see it and are too afraid to confirm it. I understand that, dear."

Standing up, tall and regal, Cersei got herself another glass of wine. She did not sit back down, instead she stared at the doorway then at Olenna. When she spoke her voice was cold and composed.

"My father is leading a courageous war against the vile creatures trying to destroy our land. I am trying to assist my eldest son in keeping our lands safe and unchanged. When Lysa returned here, deranged out of her mind crying over her lost son, I had to send her home by force, tied to a horse, raving like a madwoman. She has been locked away and I am controlling her lands for the poor dear, so I have that on my shoulders as well. Not to mention, I have taken part in a crazed plan to send children off to save us all with a magic ring."

Olenna snorted and stood up, stomping hard upon the marbled floor with her cane.

"Oh bosh and fluffing filling! On your shoulders the weight of more land is heavy, is it, woman? Lysa tried to tell you something, she saw things, tried to tell you but what she saw drove her mad. And did you attempt to keep her trying to speak? No. You are so greedy for her riches that you sent her off to rot and babble her secrets to the rats! As for the children we have sent off, others went with them. Your own son, your own brothers! Do you suddenly no longer care about your family either, just the greed and power you feel offered to you? And who is offering it, Cersei? Who is whispering in your ears at night, who is turning your other son into the monster he is becoming? Surely you have seen it, felt it and heard the rumors of your own people, of what your son is becoming?"

Cersei hissed at the woman. "How dare you? I can have you imprisoned until you rot. I can have your lying tongue cut out of your head. I can have your heart ripped out of your chest just for breathing in my presence!" Olenna snorted, unimpressed with the terrifying woman that was coming forth with a deadly grace.

"Is that what your head and heart fill with now? How very rude and undignified, how unlike you, my dear. When did you go from being cold and cutting, to savage and greed crazed? Do you even know when the change started?"

The raven flew away as the woman called in guards to escort the elderly woman and her grandchildren off their lands. "Banished! Do you hear me, witch? If I ever see you or the wretched twins again, you will all die!"

Soaring, he headed over the mountains to see a group of adventurers struggling over sharp mountain terrain. He went closer, landing upon a bush as the group came past him. Hopping up onto a twisted branch of a small tree, the raven rested while watching the group collapse below. They all seemed to be either crying or frowning and the cloak of grief hung over them like a smothering storm cloud.

The largest two were arguing over where to go and how long to allow the others to rest for. Two girls and a heavyset boy kept sobbing then drowsing, only to start weeping again. A young royal boy that wore the same golden locks as Cersei started to collect sticks for a small fire. The raven twitched and gave a tiny hop when a thing seemed to burst from nowhere.

Just as the boy was not within anyone's sight, this other boy thing slammed into the golden youth and rolled them away, down a steep overhang. Bursting out of the tree, the raven circled lower over the edge of the rocks and dirt to see the boys. He saw a thin, filthy and truly crazed, drooling maniacal boy bruised and bleeding, uncaring of it, as he brutally beat the golden head in with a large stone.

The raven streaked away fast as he felt the presence of the ring, as he felt it pick up awareness of him. He went faster than a secret can be whispered and was beyond the tainted but tempting reach of the evil, lovely siren.

Bran sat up and opened his eyes, slumping tiredly against the tree that looked down with large stern eyes.

"It's everywhere. We can't just stay here and be neutral. The ice wall is falling to the undead. Bolton has a necromancer that is leading icy corpses across the north. The devastation Bolton and his creatures are doing to the forests has spread. The trees are waking and are very angry, they cannot allow their own extinction any longer. Kings Landing is being taken over by Bolton's rotting magic and influence. I saw Joff's madness, I saw Cersei's madness. They banished the only true powerful witch that could have assisted them in the battles coming. How can I sit here with useless legs and just fly over it all? We have to do something!"      

Running a thin hand through his long ragged hair, Bran spoke in a calmer but no less intense tone. "I saw my sisters. Arya is losing everyone in her group, one by one. It will only continue and get worse and there is nothing I can do to help her. She is being stalked, hunted by our vile cousin who has become truly unhinged by the ring and Bolton. I watched him kill Tommen not more than a few feet from Arya's tired sleeping body. And there is nothing I can do."

With a deep rumbling, creaking sound, in a whisper as soft as thunder, the tree finally offered a response.

"There is something we can do. Watch. Wait. There will be a time when our nothing will become something. Be patient and rest before it's time to fly again."


	27. Thirsty

The bare body slid up the harsh bark of the tree. With a hushing and squishing sound the yucky annoying skin began to slough off and made the creature moan with delight. With a saliva clogged giggle, the body rubbed lovingly against the tree, flesh scraping off to plop to the ground.

The mouth opened wide and a mottled hand reached into the mouth, plucking out an irritating wiggling tooth. Accidentally cutting a finger upon a newly risen fang, Robin stared at the blood then licked it. Doesn't taste as good as breast milk but it wasn't a bad taste. Food doesn't taste good anymore but that was alright.

Tommen's blood tasted good as did the gray soft, pink soft jelly from his head. Not as good as breast milk but that was coming. He could almost taste it. That made Robin cackle and throw himself to roll on the ground, smacking his blackening lips. His tongue was long and red as it flickered out as if chasing the elusive taste. 

The changes are good, they are fine, it doesn't upset Robin that he is Becoming. He doesn't know what that means but he doesn't really care. The voices tell him enough, they tell him how close he is to achieving that MILK.

Another very good thing is the changes mean his mother is gone, will never come back for him now. That is good because she won't give him anymore MILK. She has gone dry and crazy, the thin man assured Robin of that. The mother is no longer a danger and is no longer a resource. He didn't care, the voice was offering him more than his mother could anyway.

Crawling to sit in a damp small cave nearby, the body, now pink, runny and still changing, Robin recalled his last visit with his mother. He heard her coming, her shrill voice, he knew it would be BIG TROUBLE. So Robin tried to run and hide but the thin man, he said to face her, to let her see him.

Robin had all his skin still then but things had already started to Become. The more he listened to the voices of the man and the ring, the more he felt different. It became easier to see at night, easier to climb around and easier to move on all fours. He only drank enough water to keep his body going, only ate enough bugs and roots to fuel himself.

It was milk, sweet large bursting breasts full of milk that his tongue longed for and nothing else tasted good.

Robin used his sharp thickening nails to click upon the stone floor, liking the sound of it. He clicked and then used one nail to widen the little nick on his finger more. Licking at the blood, sucking hard upon his finger, he pretended it was milk. Shoving his whole gooey hand in his mouth helped and he writhed, shedding skin, yearning for a taste he can't reach.

Mother had shrieked when she saw her boy, her precious lovely little boy.

She didn't like the changes she saw and tried to use her Mother Force to make him return to her bosom. But Roose had warned Robin about her deception, that mother was dried out, that mother only wanted to lock him away with her forever. Robin had bitten the head off a snake and drank its blood in front of her. Mother had shrieked and tried to touch him.

He bit her with his old teeth and one new sharp tooth.

Mother snatched her bloody hand away then her eyes went wide, wider until it made Robin laugh. She could see the thin man's shadow then, the light poison of the bite let Mother see her boy wasn't hers anymore. Robin laughed and then pointed at her while crawling forward, enjoying the sight of his mother scurrying backwards from him, from the shadow man.

"You are dry! You have no milk to give! You have no wife with milk to give me! I don't need you anymore, Mother!"

She begged Robin to let her take him to some witch to cure him. Mother offered anything, a wife, she would find him milk, just leave the shadow man and his ring behind and come to her. Be her sweet little Robin bird again.

That is when Robin started to throw rocks at her then chase her, snarling, spitting and eager to taste his Mother's blood. He called to her, whined at her.

"If you have no milk, give me your blood! Mother, let me suck you! MOTHER, YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO TAKE CARE OF ME! GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD, YOUR MUSHY PINK HEAD PARTS, MOTHER!"

This proved the thin man's truth to Robin about his mother. She didn't let him take her fluids while sweetly singing to him like she used to. She ran, abandoned her son. Robin wasn't sad or hurt, just thirsty.

Mother didn't matter anymore. Getting that ring mattered. Getting the ring and getting the girl's milk full breasts is what matters. Following what the thin man says will lead Robin to these things. Changing will only help him.

Changing also meant he sensed the ring more, he could feel it's call and it was maddening, like an itch he couldn't reach. Robin rolled and sang a soft ditty to himself.

"Get the ring, get the milk, get the ring, get the milk, get the ring, get the milk, get the ring, get the milk."

Robin started to rub his eyes, they felt wrong, they felt so dry and itchy. He couldn't scratch his eyes, he would go blind and that was bad. He rubbed them and whined, blinking rapidly. Blink. Another blink and his eyes stopped feeling itchy, now they just felt new and strange.

All the shadows had faces and he giggled at them, looked away from some that scared him a little. Rubbing along the stones of the cave, he could feel the quiet thunder of the others above racing towards the girl and the ring.

The thin man whispered about a giant named Gregor and his creatures, they were going to try and kill the others, claim the girl and the ring. What if they kill the girl? Robin whined and crawled out of the cave whispering his ditty. He wouldn't let those filthy thieving monsters to take away Robin's chance at milk.

He moved fast and gruesome through the shadows and the moonlight seemed to try and avoid him.

 

 


	28. New Faces On Trusted Flesh

Arya felt guilt like a cloak around her, allowing no one into it. They ran, kept running and somehow knew they were only a mere half a day ahead of creatures chasing them. The ring had shown Arya in a dream, the ugly, huge creatures that were dogging them. Orcs, goblins, both chased tirelessly after the ring and as Arya stumbled forward towards any dubious safety, she could hear Roose faintly laughing in her head. The ring and Roose were clearly not on the exact same page because both pulled her in different directions.

Her mind felt like it was ripping as easily as the fragile tissue paper her mom wrapped name day presents in.

A dreadful whisper that Arya must not follow, lest she find herself in a live wood chair in front of the man. He whispers the names of dead, all dead because of her and this cursed ring. Jaime, Tyrion, Shirren and Tommen are all dead, just rotting flesh all because Arya was selfish and not giving back stolen property. Roose whispers how it isn't too late, she can surrender the ring to him personally. HE will reward her in such ways, anything and everything, she could ever want. The ring itself pulls at her, it wants to stay free and choose it's own path, find a better host.

As Arya struggles between trying to trust the ring to keep them out of danger, she struggles not to fall prey to it's whims and needs. Every day, every night, Arya is feeling less like herself.

_They will steal it from you. They all covet the ring's power, they will try and lie to themselves, say they want to help you, that they can save the world if you share the ring. Or they might be planning to steal it!_

Arya saw her friends with new faces that Roose and the ring showed her. Shifty eyes, sneaky mouths and Arya was starting to get paranoid. Arya held the ring tighter and closer than ever, keeping even her sister and her best friend at a new frosty distant that only caused more concern.

Sandor ran them as fast as he could, a grueling pace that Sam and Sansa simply couldn't keep much longer. They knew it and had also been speaking in private as much as they could, showing each other something. It only fueled Arya's suspicions.

Something foul, crazed and murderous was following, stalking them. It murdered Tommen, it's what Sandor had announced. But Arya's ring and Roose had different tales. In those small moments when Arya could sleep, she dreamed. Seeing in her mind's eye the traitorous actions of her sister and teacher. How they lured poor Tommen and killed him. How they had tricked the others into their deaths. A new rabid fox look upon their now sinister and hungry faces as they planned to kill every one of them until it was only them and Arya left. They can then murder her and steal the ring.

Too hungry, tired, scared and enchanted for logic, even in waking times, Arya wondered if this might be the truth after all. When the truth became clear, it made Arya finally see the power of true evil, the power the ring and Roose truly may have over her.

They ran so hard and fast but they weren't any match for Orcs. It was like a nightmare, a slow burning one, they heard the thunder, the cries and screams of the creatures long before they saw them. They ran, they ran, but eventually they heard whizzing sounds. Sandor swore and tried to knock them all out of the path of the arrows. "Have none of you ever heard of dodging? MOVE!" Sandor drew his large sword, Lyanna was using her own bow and arrows to return fire.

Sam was hit in the arm with an orc's arrow. Sansa had another of the arrows caught in her fire red tresses as she struggled to help the injured man. Arya could hear them talking as they huddled behind a large boulder while the others fought.

"It's time, Sam. We can't wait any longer or we'll just be useless. Are you ready? Can you run, catch your breath and steel yourself. We must do this now while there is still opportunity. Before we lose our courage as well as our lives!"

Arya snarled and clutched her dagger tightly, tensing to attack them if they dared to touch her ring. To her confusion, both of them put on a gold ring that looked just like hers. They ran from behind the boulder screaming at the approaching Orcs before each running a different direction.

"You'll never take this ring from me!" "Leave me alone, you can't have the ring!"

Arya wanted, ached to go stop their suicidal dash but knew she couldn't. Hidden, she watched as most of the Orcs chased after Sansa and Sam. Sandor grabbed Arya and Lyanna and ran with them each under one arm.

"I don't know what kind of sacrifice those two just made if any, but it gives us just a little time."

He ran with his sacks of groaning flesh until they reached a small worn boat at water's edge. Tossing both girls and their bundles into the boat, Sandor used his large foot to give the boat a good shove, but he stayed on the land.

"I would have gone to the end with you. Good luck and I promise to do all I can to rescue your sister and your teacher. No more time, go! Paddle as fast as you can and stay low."

Arya was glad that she had to keep busy paddling and avoiding arrows. That way she won't cry and think of how wrong she had been about Sansa and Sam.


End file.
